Threads II  Loose Ends
by theicemenace
Summary: A sequel to Threads, this series will tie up the loose ends of the original.  Shepp/McKay/Keller/Cole whumpage.
1. Part 1

**A/N:** Well, here it is. The long awaited sequel to the Shepp/McKay whump-fest, Threads. Ladygris and dwparsnip helped quite a bit by giving their opinions and suggestions when asked and sometimes even when not asked. LOL

Thanks a bunch,

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 1**

Jennifer rested her elbows on the desk and dropped her head into her hands. Not having slept well in several days, she was so tired she could barely think. God forbid she should be called upon to do surgery.

She'd been trying to complete her report covering the days that Rodney and John had been ill but was having a problem when she got to the incident that precipitated Rodney's confinement in the Infirmary followed by the brig and stasis. Rubbing a hand over her left bicep, she pushed up her sleeve and looked down at the one bruise that hadn't yet faded. It was like it didn't want her to forget the night the man she loved had nearly lost control. She could still see the shape of his fingers in brownish-purple on her arm.

Intellectually, Jennifer knew he hadn't known what he was doing, had no control. But emotionally, every time she closed her eyes to sleep or try to ease the near-constant headache, there he was, looking down at her as if her struggles and pleas excited him.

She also knew he could tell something was wrong though he hadn't figured it out yet. Hiding the bruise had become a habit because she didn't want to hurt him more than she was by denying his tentative advances. It was all she could do not to turn away when he gave her even a kiss on the cheek though it was getting better…slowly. Each time he hinted at wanting more, her hand would go again to her arm and she'd make up some excuse. Sooner or later he would demand an explanation and she had no idea how to tell the man she still loved with all her heart that she was afraid of him.

Pushing away from the desk and Jennifer slipped her jacket on. After a stop at the drug cabinet for a sleep aide, she informed Amanda that she was going to her quarters.

~~O~~

Amanda didn't like seeing the sadness on Jennifer's face. She knew her friend wasn't sleeping and that it had to do with something that had happened between her and Rodney but she wouldn't say what. Clicking the minimize button on her project, she opened the file labeled "M7M-536" and searched the reports for a clue. She found what she was looking for about a third of the way in. It had to be the cause of her sleepless nights as she'd stopped in the middle of a sentence, picking up where Rodney had been stunned by the security detail and continuing to the end.

She briefly considered telling John what was going on. After all, he was one of Rodney's best friends. Very briefly. _I'll keep an eye on things for a while, see what happens._

"Hey."

John's voice broke into her thoughts startling her. "_Stop_ sneaking up on me!"

"Wasn't sneaking. Ready for dinner?"

"Of course." Amanda shut down her workstation, took off her lab coat and followed John from the Infirmary. They'd had dinner or lunch together every day since that incredible night that he'd come to her quarters and confessed he loved her too. Well, he hadn't exactly _said_ the words but she felt it every time he touched her, on the hand, brushing his fingers over her cheek or holding her in his arms.

What bothered her was how he treated her in public. Yes, they spent time together in the Mess Hall, movie night and long runs in the morning before breakfast. If they were sitting alone, she'd take his hand, he'd give it a quick squeeze and let go. Almost as if he were uncomfortable about being seen with her. When they passed in the hall he'd smile and nod. In front of others, he still called her "doc" but when they were alone, it was always "Mandy."

And yes, they were together nearly every evening just spending time with each other, but there was something missing and she didn't mean sex-they were taking that part of their relationship slow. But she felt as if he was holding a part of himself in reserve, as if he wasn't completely certain of their feelings for each other, and what was in store for them in the future. Almost as if he were waiting for another shoe to drop and she began to wonder if what they had was real or a result of the dire circumstances they'd been under. Until John had been cured of his condition, she's been absolutely certain she loved him as more than just a friend but now she began to question her own feelings as well as his.

Not wanting to deal with it tonight, she gave him a quick kiss and sent him on his way. She needed to think and couldn't do that when he was near.

~~O~~

Working late in his lab, Rodney couldn't keep his mind on work. Jennifer had put him off every time he suggested they do something alone. It wasn't just the fact that they hadn't made love in several weeks though that was part of it. He really missed just spending time with her. Sitting side by side on the bed working, sharing a bag of popcorn at the movies, holding hands as they watched the sunset or even the few minutes they spent talking as he was leaving on a mission or when she was just coming off a long shift as he was going on.

The only thing he could think of was that this incident had changed the way she felt about him. He readily admitted that he'd been unlike himself and she understood it was the Wraith DNA that had caused the outbursts that he didn't remember but had been told about.

_I'll give her a few more days._

The decision made, his mind cleared enough to let him work.

~~O~~

John walked away from Amanda's door stopping at the corner to look back in bewilderment. She'd been unusually quiet all through dinner and on their walk through the arboretum. The same uncertainties that had crept into his mind after the first time they'd kissed were back. Like mental slugs, they crawled through his synapses leaving sticky trails of doubt everywhere they went. This time he knew those doubts had nothing to do with his condition because she still told him she loved him now that he was well. Until tonight. After a quick kiss, she'd gone into her room without another word. No "good-night", no "see ya later" and definitely no "I love you." He had started looking forward to hearing those three words said in her soft voice, her blue eyes sparkling. After not having anyone say them since long before his divorce, he'd been reminded of just how much he'd missed hearing them from a woman, or anyone, who loved him unconditionally.

Instead of going to his room, John went to the bar. Ronon was sitting alone so he grabbed a beer and joined him. They sat in silence until one of Rodney's staff, Dr. Madelena Weissmuller, sashayed across the room to his side. And sashay was the only way to describe her trek across the dance floor. The sensuous turn of her lips, swing of her hips, the curve-hugging slacks and low-cut top flashed her intent.

Mentally kicking himself for all the times he'd flirted with her, he smiled when she stopped next to him, one long-fingered hand resting on his shoulder. "Colonel Sheppard, would you care to dance?"

"Dr. Weissmuller…"

"Please, call me Madelena. And I will call you John." Her accent was straight out of Munich.

Giving her his most charming smile, he tried to let her down easy. "We were about to play a quick game of pool. Mind if I take a rain check?"

"Of course. I am offworld for the next forty-eight hours. Perhaps when I get back."

"Perhaps." John said noncommittally, his smile gone as soon as Madelena had crossed back to her seat at the bar.

"Hey." Ronon's deep voice turned John's attention from the heel of the boot resting on his knee. "Thought you and Cole were…"

"We are, sort of."

"So, what're you doing with…" The big guy pointed his chin at the blonde astrophysicist.

"I'm not doin' _anything_ with her. I was just being _nice_."

"She won't see it that way."

John drank the last of his beer and signaled for another as he and Ronon moved over to the unused table in the far corner. "I can't control what _she_ thinks." His friend didn't say anything so he glanced his way seeing a question in his eyes while he set up the table. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Good. Now can we drink our beer and play pool?"

**TBC**


	2. Part 2

**A/N: **Many thanks to ladygris for her help with this story. And to dwparsnip for his opinions and suggestions, whether they were asked for or not. O_O

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 2**

A group made up of women and men were playing poker, laughing and having a good time though most of them had lost much of their stake to one woman.

"This must be my lucky night." She lifted the edges of her hole cards.

The man to her left shifted in his seat. He only had a few chips in front of him. If he didn't win a hand soon, he'd be out of the game for the night. The others had already folded on this hand. "Perhaps you'd like to continue that trend, see if it holds up for another, more daring wager."

The woman let nothing show in her expression but she was intrigued. A quick glance around the table showed her that their companions were waiting expectantly for her response. "What do you have in mind?"

"Same as before only…let's go a little higher this time."

"How much higher?"

"Royal flush, all hearts. Read 'em and weep, boys and girls." With a flourish, the man flipped over his cards. "To the top, baby! Think you can handle it?"

Dropping her eyes, she turned her cards over as well. Full house, eights and threes. "Same stakes as before?"

"Of course."

When he'd finished dragging the pot over in front of him, she extended her right hand. "I do believe I will take that bet."

~~O~~

The members of Team Sheppard were all strangely subdued as they passed through Operations from the Jumper Bay. Chuck, Mr. Woolsey and the others watched with puzzled glances at each other as John, Teyla and Rodney made their way to the armory with Ronon parting from them and going who knows where. If asked, John would probably say the Satedan could be found in the gym beating up a squad of Marines.

But he didn't say anything…to anyone and neither did the others, not even each other. They just removed their TAC vests and checked in their weapons. That done, John sat down on a bench, elbows on his knees, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Evan and his team were in the process of gearing up. As he tucked a LSD into his vest, the Major gave his CO a concerned look. "Something wrong, sir?"

"You could say that." John's voice was muffled as he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

Coughlin drew Evan's attention to the fact that John, Teyla and Rodney all had wet hair. Whatever happened, it couldn't have been good. They also knew they weren't going to hear about it now.

John listened to Evan and his team file out then it was quiet once more. He looked up sharply when Teyla touched him on the shoulder. "It is not your fault, John."

"No. It was _mine_." Rodney's voice was soft though easily heard from across the silent weapons room. "We had this mission planned for over a _week_. I should've plotted the weather _days_ ago and warned them about…"

"You could _not_ have known that lightning would strike at that exact moment," Teyla told him reasonably.

"But it's my _job_ to know this stuff. I…"

"_Enough_, McKay. Shower and change then go to the Infirmary. You're _not_ getting pneumonia on my watch."

Rodney looked like he wanted to argue but all he did was wave a hand helplessly in the air as he followed orders. Teyla stopped at the door looking back at John with sad eyes, pushed the wet hair off her face and left him alone with his thoughts.

~~O~~

Jennifer stripped off her gown, cap, gloves and mask as she came out of the operating room. Pushing the damp hairs off her forehead with the back of her hand, she went to her office to write up her report. Sergeant Branson would be fine and she'd even be able to wear a bikini again once her appendix scar healed. She'd just sat down and powered up her workstation when Rodney tapped on her office door. He edged into the room and sat down.

The smile that had started to cross her features disappeared when she saw his face. "What's wrong?"

"Our, uh, m-mission…was a disaster."

She came around the desk and sat next to him. "Tell me about it." Expecting to hear another tale of how everything that went wrong was all John's fault because he was caught making out with the village leader's daughter, sister, friend or what-have-you, she was distressed at the oddly hollow quality of his voice.

"A, uh, storm came up suddenly. I mean, one minute i-i-it was just a little cloudy and the next…" He broke off when she finally took him by the hand and he gripped it like it was a lifeline, giving him the strength to continue. "A group of about twenty were crossing a rope and plank suspension bridge when lightning hit a tree. A huge section of the tree fell on the bridge knocking everyone into the water."

"Oh, no."

"We went in after them but…" he looked down at the floor, his hand squeezing even tighter. "…they were mostly Madison's age or younger."

Not able to speak after hearing the anguish in his voice, Jennifer just rubbed a hand back and forth over Rodney's shoulders while she did a visual assessment of his physical condition. His skin felt warm. Most likely because he'd just showered. Moving her hand up his neck, her fingers nipped at the short hairs there. In response, he turned his head aside with a frown.

She stood up, urging him to his feet. "Come on. Let's do your physical. Swimming in river water isn't good for anyone, especially you."

Rodney gave her his sad and oh so endearing smile. "You take such good care of me." He put his hands on her shoulders and gathered her close just as he always did after that pronouncement, but her hands came up between them to his chest and pushed him away. "Jennifer?"

"It's…nothing." She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"So you keep _saying_." He took a step back, crossing his arms defensively. "I don't believe you."

"I'm sorry. It's just…I need to work this out on my own." When her eyes finally met his, she glanced away at the level of skepticism she saw there. It made his crystal blue eyes darken to the color of storm clouds. Ironic under the circumstances.

"Really? Not too long ago, someone taught me that communication is one of the most important elements in _any_ successful relationship. Talking about a problem with someone you trust can help you sort through the situation, see it more clearly, maybe even provide a solution. Oh, wait. That was _you!_" Reluctantly, she nodded. "Then _talk_ to me. _Tell_ me what's bothering you."

"Rodney…"

"You know what, Jennifer? I think I get it." He went to the door stopping just short of activating the sensor. "If you don't want to be with me anymore, just _say_ so and _stop_ playing games!"

Before she could think what to say to him he was gone and she was left standing in her office doorway. Her staff wisely continued to attend to their work though she knew they'd heard at least the last part of the discussion. She stepped back to her desk, the door whispering shut. In the normal course of daily events, she didn't mind the quiet. It helped her to think, to organize internally. But not tonight.

_Spiteful words can hurt your feelings, but silence breaks your heart. _

Jennifer didn't know who said it but, at this exact moment, she would've cheerfully kicked him in the family jewels.

~~O~~

Behind him Rodney heard the voices of the medical staff calling out for him to stop. He ignored them and kept walking with no real destination in mind. A grumbling from his stomach reminded him that he hadn't eaten since breakfast, a meal he'd shared with Jennifer. Instead of going to the Mess Hall he headed for his office.

Booting up his workstation, he did what he sort of promised not to do again: hacked into the medical database. It didn't take long for him to locate the medical reports on Team Sheppard's most recent escapade.

He scanned Jennifer's reports looking for a clue to her recent behavior. What set the wheels in his head turning was the missing section between returning from M7M-536 the second time and when he'd been stunned by the security detail. She stopped in the middle of a sentence that had a very ominous quality to it. Searching his memory he found that time period was blank.

"…_after further detailed examination of Dr. McKay's altered DNA, it was determined that, in addition to the contribution from Colonel Sheppard, he had also received a small amount of Wraith DNA that had been stored in the device during the experiments conducted over ten thousand years ago during the war with the Ancients. It was also determined to be incompatible with the ATA gene. _

"_The Wraith DNA continued to replicate itself and began to overwrite his human DNA causing an exponential increase in stamina, strength, aggression, and hostility towards those around him. The only exception was Teyla Emmagan whom he saw as his hive's queen._

"_The Chief Medical Officer located Dr. McKay at his quarters to inform him of this new development when an incident occurred that_…"

It stopped there and picked up with him being stunned by the security detail. Knowing he wouldn't get a straight answer from Jennifer, he jumped up and headed for the barracks level.

~~O~~

"Dr. McKay!" Amanda called out but the physicist kept going which was very unlike him. But then, what she and the rest of the staff had heard was very unlike Atlantis' first couple.

To her knowledge, Jennifer and Rodney had never had a fight before, not once in all the months they'd been together and very few before that, mostly stemming from differing scientific ideologies. If something had happened on this last mission that caused them to argue, then John must be feeling it as well.

Teyla and Ronon were better equipped to handle the situation so she didn't waste time worrying about them. Taking off her lab coat, she called Cedric Evans to cover for her.

~~O~~

Never before had Rodney had any reason to come to this particular door and did so hesitantly. The last thing he wanted was for the room's occupants to take his presence the wrong way. Before he could announce himself, the door opened and a man holding a toddler stood there.

"Dr. McKay." Kanaan's forehead creased in puzzlement though Torren was happy to see him. The boy gave him a smile, curled his fingers repeatedly in his version of a wave.

"Hey, little guy. How ya doin'?" Rodney tried to smile at the boy. It must have worked because he received a tooth-filled grin in return.

"May I help you?" The boy's father inquired of the scientist.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, uh, family time, but could I speak to Teyla? Just for a few minutes. I…"

Out of the brightly lit room came his friend's voice. "It's alright, Kanaan." Teyla stepped out into the hall, waiting for the door to close before speaking. "Is something wrong, Rodney?"

"Yeah. I…well, you see…I don't remember…and it's…" he broke off and started again. "Everything between Jennifer and I was great before…but now…"

"How can _I_ help?"

Shifting his feet nervously, the physicist rubbed his hands together. "Meditation. I-I-It's supposed to help recall events you might've blocked out, right?"

Teyla nodded slowly. "It _can_ facilitate memory, yes."

"Can you help facilitate _mine_? I'd ask John but, well, I'd rather not disturb him right now."

With a smile, Teyla gave his arm a small squeeze. "Of course." Rodney's stomach growled and she covered her mouth with her fingers to stop a laugh. "Have something to eat and I will come to your quarters after Torren has gone to sleep."

"Thanks. Uh, do we need anything special? Candles? Incense? Mood music?"

"It's not necessary but, if you so desire, I will bring these items."

Rodney left Teyla's door feeling a little better. Just how long that would last, he'd soon find out.

~~O~~

John pushed a hand thorough his damp hair and gave the sleeves of his black shirt one more roll. He was in civvies because he didn't feel like getting into uniform for the couple of hours before he went to bed and didn't want to stay in his room. And bed is all it would be when the time came because he sure didn't feel like sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was the bodies covered with burial cloths lying on the bank of the river while parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends mourned them. Some of the bodies were adults but the majority was between the ages of five and twelve.

After a few words of sympathy, he'd left it to Teyla to express the sorrow and grief on behalf of the team because, well, he had no idea what to do or say to offer comfort beyond platitudes. Some people responded to words, others to physical gestures like a hand on the shoulder. Still others could only be comforted by hugs. The last time he'd hugged someone in an attempt at consolation was when Teyla's friend Kate Heightmeyer had died. And he hadn't done a very good job.

Standing just inside the door of the bar, he let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Music played, people talked, laughed and danced. Off to the right he could see several groups at the pool tables and video games, momentarily thinking about joining them.

Then his eyes found Amanda.

Until that very moment he hadn't realized that _she_ was what he'd come looking for. Somehow, he just knew she'd be here waiting for him, ready to provide a warm smile and a shoulder to lean on that would make everything he'd experienced today a little easier to deal with. Not that seeing children die and knowing that there was nothing he could have done to stop it was easy. But having _her_ to cling to would help chase away the unpreventable nightmares when they came. All he had to do was convince her to spend the night with him again.

They'd held off on becoming intimate with just the occasional intense make-out session to allow their relationship to grow. It had been her idea and he'd readily agreed. Had been relieved even. Her friendship over the years, especially since coming to Pegasus, meant a great deal to him. If he ruined that camaraderie by them having sex before they were ready to take it to that level, he'd have one more thing weighing on an already overloaded conscience.

The silly grin that had turned up the corners of his mouth took off for parts unknown when he spied a scientist whose name he couldn't immediately place making himself comfortable at Amanda's table. The man engaged her in conversation and an emotion he couldn't identify surged through him. Taking a step in that direction, he flexed his hands in preparation for thoroughly thrashing the man to within an inch of his life and he finally recognized the emotion: Jealousy. It was foreign to him and he found he had almost no control over it.

Always kindhearted and considerate, Amanda returned the man's smile and said something John couldn't hear over the music. To his great surprise, the man stiffened in his seat, got up and made hasty tracks for the exit. As he passed John, he stopped just long enough to say, "Take my advice, Colonel. Stay away from that one. She'll cut you with a sharp remark and laugh while you bleed out."

When the man was gone, John found himself grinning again. _That's my girl! _The thought stunned him. _When did I start thinking of her as __my__ girl?_ On the way to Amanda's side, memories flashed across his mind. He knew they weren't real, that they had to be dreams.

_Amanda smiling lovingly at him on their wedding day. _

_Her eyes bright with happy tears when she told him they were expecting their first child. _

_Watching her get dressed for their child's wedding. _

_Holding their grandchild. _

_Rocking side by side, their hair long gone white. _

Interspersed with the good times were the ones that weren't happy or pleasant. Like when she'd been culled by the Wraith and he'd had to tell their children mommy wasn't coming home. And when he witnessed his own death as a lonely old man whose only friend was his former second-in-command.

He supposed that it was his mind's way of telling him that there were happy _and_ sad times in any relationship and no one was guaranteed a long, crisis-free life. It was an epiphany, the sort that makes you say, "Oohh! _Now_ I get it!"

And he did…finally.

And in that instant he made a decision that would impact the rest of his life. Tonight, he would say those three little words that Amanda deserved to hear from him and he'd do it here, in public, so everyone would know they were together.

~~O~~

Watching John out of the corner of her eye, Amanda saw several emotions dart across his features. But when he reached the table, the only one left was his stoic, unreadable, I'm-okay-you're-okay-and-even-if-we're-not-let's-pretend expression.

She handed him a bottle. "Thought you could use this."

He nodded, took a long drink and set the beer aside. From the look on his face she could tell he had something on his mind that he'd have to work his way up to sharing with her. Well, she was patient. It was one of the reasons their friendship had worked as well as it did. She instinctively knew when to push and when to leave things alone. He'd get around to telling her what that something was. For now, she'd provide the comforting presence of a friend.

~~O~~

Rodney was stretched out on the floor, his room lit by candles placed strategically to provide gentle illumination. Teyla was sitting cross-legged nearby, her eyes closed, while music played softly in the background. It had turned out that Rodney was allergic to the incense so she'd put it away.

"…slowly exhale, allowing each breath to cleanse you, restoring your body and spirit." She took a slow breath listening for Rodney to do the same. "Feel your mind clearing…" another breath, "…open to all that surrounds you."

"So what do you think…"

"Embrace the _silence_." She put emphasis on the last word.

There was a long pause and it seemed as if he'd finally begun to relax. Until, "…seriously, what could I have done…"

"Rodney, _please_ stop talking and just listen to the silence."

"Right." The physicist scooted around getting more comfortable. "Maybe I should be on the bed. You know the floor is cold and hard…"

"RODNEY!"

"Sorry. Sorry. I'll shut up." Inhale, hold, exhale. Inhale, hold, exhale. "You know, I think its working because I'm remembering when we went back to the planet and I started the firefight with…oh, wait. I already remembered that. Okay. Where were we?"

Teyla sighed loudly as she climbed to her feet. She moved around the room blowing out the candles until there was only the small amount of light that came through the window to see by then shut off the music. "'We' are going back to 'our' quarters to sleep. I suggest you do the same. Perhaps everything will be clearer in the morning."

"But…"

"Good _night_, Rodney."

**TBC**


	3. Part 3

**A/N:** Massive thanks go out to ladygris for her Beta assistance as well as her friendship.

_Merci_,

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 3**

John let the cold beer flow down his suddenly dry throat. He'd almost turned the chair around and straddled it, but that would've put more distance between them when he really wanted there to be less. Much less.

_Say it __now__! Take her hand, look deep into those beautiful eyes and say…_

"Thanks for the beer." He mentally kicked himself for chickening out. After coming out on top in a battle to the death with a Wraith Super Hive, convincing the IOA _and_ O'Neill to allow Atlantis to return to Pegasus and the "theft" of his ATA gene, it ought to be easy to tell a woman how you feel about her.

_Come on, John! You can __do__ this!_

His eyes looked for and found hers and just like that, his doubts and uncertainties disappeared. Her hand rested on the table while she peeled the label from her bottle. He scooted his hand across the table and drew two fingers across the back of her hand from the knuckles down to her slender wrist, making her eyes widen in surprise. In all the years she'd known him he'd never initiated a public gesture of affection and knew that she was shocked beyond words.

She looked from his face to where he continued to draw random patterns on her hand and back again, opening her mouth to speak. But he didn't want her to say anything, not yet. He wanted to say his piece _then_ she could say whatever she wanted as long as it ended with an avowal of eternal devotion to match the one he was about make.

"I…"

"Hello, John."

His stomach sinking to his feet, John inwardly cringed at the sound of a familiar voice. He hoped she'd just stopped to say hello and wouldn't bring up what they'd talked about other night.

"Good evening, Dr. Cole."

She wasn't ignoring Amanda as some women would. _That's a __good__ sign, right?_

"Dr. Weissmuller."

Again John cringed, this time at the frosty tone of Amanda's voice. His prayer was _not_ answered when she turned back to him with a smile that said she meant business.

"I thought you'd forgotten about our date."

He looked up into the eyes of Madelena Weissmuller and realized that yes, he _had_ forgotten about her. Probably because Amanda now filled his every waking thought as well as his dreams. Still, he came to his feet in the presence of a lady just as he'd been taught by his mother so many years ago. With a quick sideways glance at Amanda, the refrain from a country song leapt into his mind. He'd always thought it sappy and overly sentimental but, in this case, it was incredibly apt.

_They say time can play tricks on a memory  
Make people forget things they knew  
But it's easy to see it's happening to me  
I've already forgotten every woman but you…_

"I, uh…"

The German scientist took him by the hand. "It's understandable. Having just returned from a difficult mission you need to relax and take your mind off your troubles, _nicht wahr_? Come. We will dance and soon you will be feeling better again."

John dug his heels in when it appeared that Madelena was prepared to drag him to the dance floor if he didn't go willingly. "Madelena…"

A gasp and the scrape of a chair brought his attention back to Amanda just in time to see the stricken expression she tried to hide as she bolted for the exit.

~~O~~

After Teyla had left, Rodney put on socks and shoes to go for a walk, somehow ending up near the gym. Grunts and the sound of quarterstaffs crashing against each other could be heard coming from the open doorway of the workout room on the left. He sidled up to the door and peeked in.

Evan barely managed to avoid a maneuver that had been intended to sweep his feet out from under him when Ronon suddenly stopped, his eyes narrowing. "McKay?"

Coming fully into the room, Rodney stood there rubbing his hands together. "Yeah. I, uh…"

"What?" Ronon said sharply, annoyed that he and Evan had been interrupted.

Evan could see that Rodney was upset and shot the Satedan a look that was ignored. "Help you with something, doc?"

"Uh, yeah. It's, you know, personal. A-A-And I wouldn't bother you but…" Ronon wouldn't have been his first choice to talk to about personal issues and neither was Evan, but Rodney was desperate. He'd gone over all of his encounters with Jennifer since the DNA debacle had been corrected and finally figured out what was going on.

After he'd rashly walked away from her earlier, he'd thought about what was said and realized that, once again, he'd given the woman he loved a breakup speech. Or at least he thought he had. He wasn't sure anymore. Taking a deep breath, he decided to go for it. "Look, here's the thing. Jennifer's afraid of me and I _need_ to know _why_. Can you help? Please?"

~~O~~

John watched Amanda leave, Madelena still holding his hand and pulling him in the direction of the dance floor. Half of him wanted to stay here with the tempting scientist. Well, less than half, a third maybe or even a fourth. But the rest of him wanted to stop Amanda from leaving. The two sectors of his mind argued until they finally came to a consensus. Then, without warning, his libido reared up wanting to have its say and was promptly voted off the island. The majority ruled. He would go after Amanda.

He stopped his and Madelena's forward motion, taking his hand from hers and saying a hasty, "Excuse me." Without explaining, John took the same path to the patio exit managing to catch up with Amanda before she could get too far away. She refused to look at him even when he moved around in front of her. "That wasn't what it looked like."

Amanda brought her gaze up to meet his unflinchingly. "You know, that sounds just like a _lie_."

"I suppose I deserve that." His feet shifted. "What I was trying to say before is I…care about you."

"What does that mean _exactly_?" 

"It means that I want us to be more than friends. A lot more."

"I _got_ that." She waited but he didn't continue. "So you're saying you love me."

Amanda's blunt question disconcerted him for a moment. "Uh…yeah."

She crossed her arms skeptically. "Sorry to seem disbelieving, but you don't seem completely sure."

"Gimme a break, doc. I haven't flown this particular bird in a _very_ long time."

"See? _That's_ what I'm talking about. Any time we're together in public, you _never_ use my name. If you care about me then say my name. Say it _now_. It's only three syllables, starts with an A." He opened his mouth but stayed silent. Shaking her head sadly, Amanda turned away from him to look out at the moons not really seeing them, her voice almost a whisper. "These past few weeks of us being whatever we were, it's like you're only letting me into half of your heart. The problem with that is I'm an all or nothing kind of woman."

Nodding as if he knew that about her though he didn't, he crossed his arms. "Yeah. So?"

"So…I can't continue with this…" Amanda waved her hand between them, "…with _us_ because half of your heart, well, it just isn't enough. Not for me." Moving around him, she walked away without looking back.

~~O~~

Her feet carrying her away from John as fast as they could, Amanda refused to allow herself to cry. This was exactly what she'd been afraid would happen when she decided to open herself up. She'd learned very quickly in their relationship that she would have to be patient and tolerant in order to get what she wanted from him. Other times, being direct got the desired results. Unfortunately, neither tactic worked this time.

Her headset chirped and she tapped it impatiently. "Cole."

"_It's Captain Martin, Doctor. His vitals have been steadily declining over the last hour_."

With a deep sigh, Amanda ordered a battery of tests as she stepped into the transporter. "…and call Dr. Keller. We may have to open him up again." Upon arrival, she went straight to the Air Force officer's side, having completely forgotten about the incident in the bar.

~~O~~

Jennifer had just reached the barracks level when she skidded to a stop and backed around the corner again. Peeking through the leaves of a potted tree she saw Teyla leaving Rodney's room. Rodney followed stopping her with a hand on her arm. He said something she couldn't hear then Teyla shook her head regretfully and walked off in the direction of her room carrying several items that Jennifer couldn't identify.

Standing there wondering what was going on, she watched Rodney's face fall just before the door closed and really wished she could tell him what was bothering her. She felt badly about keeping _anything_ from him, but especially something so important. Never in her life had anything even remotely like that come close to happening. There was the incident with the Bola Kai, but it didn't compare to having the man you love attack you. As long as she'd known him, it was the first time she'd ever truly been afraid of him and she wasn't able to shake that feeling whenever he touched her.

More than a few times, especially late at night, she'd started to go to him, missing the closeness of being cuddled against his chest, his heart thumping a steady rhythm under her hand. The sound of his breathing as he slept, the scent of him after he'd taken a long hot bath using her bubble bath, the feel of his hands moving over her with such gentleness as they made slow, sweet love…

…His eyes looking down at her as he lay on top of her almost laughing at her pitiful struggles.

Her body shuddered as her headset chirped. "Keller." She listened while Isabelle gave her a quick rundown of Captain Martin's condition, already running for the transporter. "On my way!"

~~O~~

John listened until he could no longer hear Amanda's footsteps. "Sonofa…_Good_ one, John! Run her off, why don't you? _Now_ what're you gonna do?" The words echoed off the walls. Briefly he considered following her, but in the end, he stayed put. What would he say to her? She was right. He pushed a hand through his unruly hair. "I need a beer." Re-entering the bar, he went back to the table he'd been sharing with Amanda before this whole night had to hell with the rest of the day, threw himself back down in the chair and finished his beer in one long drink. Setting the empty aside, he grabbed her abandoned bottle and finished that one off too.

A soft footstep sounded beside him during that short lull between the ending of one song and the beginning of another just before a gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder giving him a slight squeeze.

"Is everything alright, John?"

To his ears Madelena actually sounded sincere, like she was really worried about him. Here was a woman who only wanted to spend time with him, no strings attached. Unlike Amanda who wanted major string attachment, the forever kind. He doubted he'd be able to salvage whatever it was he had with Amanda so he put on his most charming smile. "Peachy." In the few seconds it took to examine his thought processes a second time, his libido came storming out of where it had been hiding. "Still want that dance, Madelena?"

~~O~~

Evan and Ronon were talking quietly at the bar. Their sparring session had gone fairly well, Evan coming away relatively unscathed stirring in him the idea that Ronon had just been playing with him as a cat would with a mouse. He'd gotten in a few good licks but nothing that could have been called amazing or noteworthy. He also thought about Rodney and how neither of them had been able to help the physicist. They turned quickly when they heard a woman's voice shouting in German.

"Uh-oh." Embarrassment for himself as well as the woman turned Evan's cheeks slightly pink though it didn't show in the dim lighting of the bar.

"What's wrong?"

"Um, just wish I didn't understand German, especially the curse words."

Two more words were shouted though they didn't need translation as they were in English. It was followed closely by a loud _SLAP!_

Both men had stiffened, their postures going from relaxed to ready when a moment later, an angry blonde stormed past without seeing them. She continued to mutter under her breath in German as she headed for the exit where she ran into someone nearly knocking him down.

Ronon watched her pick up a book and hand it to the man she'd collided with, his eyes narrowing dangerously when he recognized Kavanagh. To his surprise, the weasely little coward smiled at the woman instead of telling her off. "What she say?"

"She was saying some, uh, unflattering things about men in general and…"

"…me in particular?"

Evan turned to see his CO coming out of the darkness rubbing the left side of his face and looking dazed. Beneath his fingers, the Major could see a red mark. "Is there a problem, sir?"

"Nothing I can't handle."

Ronon peered at John who'd finally dropped his hand when the bartender put a bottle in front of him asking the question that was on both their minds. "Why'd she slap you?"

John tried to be casual about it though he hadn't had that particular reaction from a woman in a very long time. "Women _do_ that. They don't always need a reason." He took a long drink of the beer. "Though I might've given her a good one."

Evan tried to make the most of this little bit of camaraderie with his superior officer. "Anything you'd like to share with the class, sir?"

Shrugging, John took a long drink of his beer. "Not really."

~~O~~

Peter Kavanagh sat unnoticed in a corner of the bar having watched the byplay that had taken place tonight between Cole, Sheppard and Weissmuller. Laughing to himself, he thought it served Sheppard right for dating one woman while he was sleeping with another. He'd seen Sheppard with the medical second-in-command on more than a few occasions over the last few weeks and thought that they didn't make a very good couple. Sheppard and Weissmuller, on the other hand, made an even worse couple.

Weissmuller, he now saw, had the combined look of someone who was sexually frustrated _and_ a woman scorned. He didn't know what Sheppard had done to make her so mad but it _could_ work to his advantage.

With an internal grin, Peter pretended to read the book he'd brought with him, keeping one eye on the good doctor so he could get his timing exactly right. A few more seconds and…

He stood up just as she got to his table nearly knocking her down. The book and his glasses went flying as she flung her arms around him to keep from falling. His arms went around her waist and pulled her to him for the same reason.

"_Mein Gott_! I am _so_ sorry, Dr. Kavanagh." She pushed out of his arms, retrieved his book and handed it to him.

He set the book on the table again. "No harm done, Dr. Weissmuller, except, well, I can't see a thing without my glasses." That was a lie. They were single-vision glasses and the only way to have them when he needed them was to wear them all the time. He squinted and got down on his hands and knees feeling around. "Am I getting close?"

"You are not. Shall I…" An ominous crunch came from a few feet away.

Peter squinted at the figure of a Marine as the man bent down to pick something up. The tinkle of broken glass reached their ears over the music.

"Sorry, Dr. K. I stepped on your glasses."

Madelena took the bent and broken frames from the man. "Thank you, Sergeant." She took Peter's hand and let him feel for himself. "Have you another pair?"

"In my quarters."

"Good. May I buy you a drink as an apology?"

"I don't consume substances whose sole purpose is to cloud the mind, but thanks for the offer. I should get back to my room…Madelena." Feeling around on the table, he grabbed his book and headed in the general direction of the exit almost running into the wall instead. "Oops." One hand patted the wall until he came to the door. Before he could find the handle and open it, a warm, strong hand took hold of his.

"This is my fault, Peter. Allow me to help you." He let Madelena lead him away.

**TBC**

**A/N:** "Forever and Ever, Amen" is a single released in 1987 by country music artist Randy Travis, written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was Travis's third No. 1 single on the U.S. _Billboard_ Hot Country Singles charts.


	4. Part 4

**A/N:** Thanks go out to Whirlwind421 for her assistance with naming the staff psychologist and ladygris for helping with other OC names as well as her Beta assistance and friendship.

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 4**

With a weary sigh, Amanda pulled the surgical scrub top off over her head and tossed it to the floor even before her door had completely closed, not caring who might see. Her shoes, socks and pants came next with her bra and panties the final barriers between her skin and a hot shower.

Captain Martin had needed emergency surgery though it hadn't taken long to find the problem. His vitals had finally stabilized and Jennifer had sent her to get some sleep. She'd tried to argue with her friend and superior, but it only made sense for Jennifer to stay and keep an eye on their patient. Amanda, Marie and Isabelle were heading out on a medical mission the next day with Team Lorne as their escort and she needed a good night's sleep.

Amanda put on her pajamas, towel drying her hair as she went into the bedroom to sit on the side of the bed. Photos looked out at her from the wall, desk and bedside table as she combed her hair. One in particular disconcerted her. It was taken on the Stanford campus in the spring of John's junior year, her senior year. The sun was shining bright, the grass was green and flowers bloomed. She was sitting between John and a guy with long blonde hair whose name she couldn't remember. Their backs to the camera, the rest of their study group completed the circle. John was facing into the camera as was she and the unknown blonde, a shit-eating grin on his face. The woman with long dark hair in a ponytail seated on his other side was smiling as well, but she was looking at John.

Amanda and John's ex-wife had been college roommates until Amanda had gone off to Johns Hopkins. A year later she'd gotten an invitation to Nancy and John's wedding, but wasn't able to attend due to her class schedule. John had joined the Air Force shortly after the wedding and their divorce came along a few years later.

Picking up the photo, Amanda stuck her tongue out at him. "Why I put up with a pain in the ass like you all these years, I have _no_ idea. Oh, yeah. I love you. Guess I always have." She set the photo back on the table and crossed her arms. "Stop _looking_ at me like that, Sheppard. I only figured it out a couple of weeks ago." With a growl, she shoved the photo into the drawer and slammed it shut.

Crawling under the covers, she punched her pillow into submission, hugged the extra one to her and closed her eyes.

~~O~~

Madelena shivered and cuddled closer to Peter as he pulled the covers up over both of them to block out the slight chill of the room as it brushed over their heated skin. He felt her smile against his shoulder and pulled her closer.

"I did _not_ plan for this to happen when I offered to help you back to your room. But I am so glad it did, Peter."

Peter kissed her on the forehead. _It fits into __my__ plans quite nicely._ He just held her without speaking hoping she'd go to sleep. Sex with her was good but not great and though he was more than happy to be sleeping with a woman that even Sheppard hadn't been able to get, he had much higher standards than a cosmologist/mechanical engineer from Munich. To start with, she was a little too skinny for his tastes. Moving the hand on her waist up and down, he felt the lower curve of her ribcage. He liked his women a little more zaftig, and preferred redheads to blondes though from what he'd seen, she wasn't a natural blonde anyway.

Her soft snores started a short time later interrupting his plotting and planning. The next step in his scheme was to let it slip to that strange little woman that he and Madelena had spent the night together. With her on point, it wouldn't take long for the story to get around the city and back to Sheppard. He scooted around to get more comfortable, switched out the light and went to sleep with a big smile as he imagined the look on Sheppard's face when he heard the news.

~~O~~

After spending nearly twenty-four straight hours in the Infirmary, Jennifer took a break to get something to eat and some real sleep instead of the catnaps she'd taken while Captain Martin was in recovery. Although she was more tired than she'd been in weeks, she just couldn't go to sleep.

Tossing off the covers, she shoved her feet into sneakers and left her quarters. Sometimes when she couldn't sleep because Rodney was away on a mission and she was missing and worrying about him, she'd just start walking without any real direction or destination. When she stopped walking, she found herself in front of the staff psychologist's office. Though she doubted that Dr. Arnett would be here at this time of night, she announced herself anyway.

The door slid open and a smiling face surrounded by short dark hair that came just to the bottom of her earlobes greeted her. Bright green eyes took in Jennifer's apprehensiveness and immediately drew her inside.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, Dr. Arnett." Jennifer sat down in the comfy armchair and tried to relax. "I need to talk to someone."

"You're in luck because I just happen to be a professional listener. And call me Sydney. How can I help?"

"Well, I…something happened during this latest emergency with Colonel Sheppard and Dr. McKay. It has me…disturbed. I'm having trouble sleeping and that's not the worst of it. Every time Rodney touches me I can't help but freeze up. I've pushed him away so many times that he thinks I don't want to be with him anymore." She huffed at herself. "I love him and nothing will ever change that. It's just that…" Sydney handed her a box of tissues just as the first teardrop fell. "I've never been afraid of him before."

"Want to tell me about it?"

Shrugging, Jennifer stood up and went to the window. Both moons were in the sky and she thought about all the nights she and Rodney had spent sitting on the balcony not talking, just being together and watching the moons shine on the water. "I _do_, yes but…I haven't told _anyone_, not a soul. I can't even put it in my report."

"Once you've told someone, it should be easier to tell Dr. McKay. If not me, then someone you trust, a friend or mentor."

With a headshake, Jennifer resumed her seat. "Right now it's more like a nightmare and verbalizing what happened would make it more real somehow. He doesn't remember doing what he did and I _know_ he wasn't in control of himself, but if I were to tell him, he'd be afraid of it happening again. He wouldn't want to put me in danger so he'd leave me and probably Atlantis as well."

Sydney was quiet for a while, just long enough that Jennifer jumped when the psychologist shifted in her seat, tucking one leg under the other knee. "What do you think is happening now, with you keeping this from him?"

A tear created a thin trail of moisture on her cheek. She brushed it away with a soggy laugh. "It's already happened."

"Oh?"

"He told me to stop playing games and just tell him if I don't want to be with him anymore. It sounded like a break-up."

"And do you?"

Now Jennifer was angry, more so than the situation warranted. "Of _course_ I want to be with him. I _love_ him!"

Dropping both feet to the floor again, Sydney leaned forward. "_I_ know that and _you_ know that. But when was the last time you told _him_?"

~~O~~

The next morning, after a long and mostly sleepless night, John came to a stop in front of Amanda's door, pausing a moment before touching the chime. _This is forever, John. No take backs. No do-overs. _

The door opened on the medical doctor tucking her black mission uniform shirt into the waistband of her slacks. Her face creased in irritation when she saw who it was. "What the hell do _you_ want?"

"To talk to you." When he heard footsteps he entered the room so the door would close and they'd have some privacy.

"Well, _I_ don't want to talk to _you_." She continued to move about the room gathering clothing and personal items into a backpack. "Please _leave_."

"But…"

Amanda turned to face him, one hand on her hip, the other slicing through the air to cut him off. "No. No buts, John. I _knew_ this was a mistake, but I went ahead and followed my heart instead of my head. Every time I've done that it's ended in disaster and _this_ was the worst because, in spite of everything you've done to push me away, I really do love you."

Crossing his arms rebelliously, John tried to think of a good response. "Not _every_ time." _Oh, great comeback, John._

As she zipped up her TAC vest, she said a series of words that he hadn't heard put together in that way in years. He tried to appear shocked, but was actually very impressed.

"Need I remind you of Derek, Ronnie and Sean? And let's not forget Brody the stalker." Slinging the backpack over one shoulder, she left her room hoping he'd give up and go away. But it wasn't to be. He followed her to the transporter and jumped in just as she tapped the screen for the Infirmary.

~~O~~

Clamping the stylus between his teeth, Dominic Li walked to the other side of the lab and touched what looked like a keypad on the piece of alien tech he'd been assigned to evaluate. He bobbed his head in time to the music coming from the boom box on the table next to the door.

At first he'd been annoyed with Dr. McKay because this lab was on a lower level away from almost everything and everyone. But now he rather enjoyed working down here alone. He didn't have to worry about someone getting in his way while he paced and he could play his music as loud as he wanted. Which is why he jumped when the music abruptly stopped.

"Hey! Didn't expect to see you today."

Madelena smirked as she walked towards him. "I am…what do you call it? Slumming?"

He laughed as he set aside his tablet and crossed his arms casually. "Slumming is right. You…" The grin on his face changed to astonishment as he watched her looking everywhere but at him. "Oh, Maddie, you _got_ some last night, didn't you?"

She didn't say anything though her cheeks pinked.

Dom pulled out a chair and sat down, his face eager. "Okay, girl. Spill. I wanna hear _everything_. Every teeny-tiny detail."

"Ah…" Madelena rubbed her hands nervously down the sides of her pants. "I…It wasn't…"

Gasping, he leaned back in his chair. "You didn't…with, uh…?" Shaking her head, the blush deepened even more. "Then who…"

"Uh…" The lab door whooshed open before she could answer. "Oh! Pe-Dr. Kavanagh. We didn't expect to see you here today."

"Yeah, well, I like to keep my staff on their toes." Peter Kavanagh was carrying a tablet, his eyes glued to the screen. "How are you today, Dr. Weissmuller?"

"Good." Madelena was nervous. She'd hoped to put off the awkward morning-after meeting until much later, after she'd had coffee. "And you?"

Peter shrugged. "A little tired." He went to the back of the room absorbed in his work and totally ignoring the byplay behind him.

Dom widened his eyes and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. She responded with a shrug.

"Yes, Dr. Li, Madelena and I spent the night together last night." He turned to face both of the scientists who were watching him with mouths hanging open. "Are we gonna do it again? We'll see. For now, just get to work. The SGC doesn't pay us to stand around gossiping about who is having sex with whom."

~~O~~

Amanda was moving so fast John had to increase his speed to keep up. "We should be together."

An irritated laugh stopped him in his tracks for a moment as she abruptly turned to face him. He'd seen that look in her eyes before didn't like it. The first time he hadn't known what it meant, but that was almost twenty years ago and he'd learned the folly of ignoring it. He backed up a step, his hands automatically coming up in preparation of defending himself. It turned out not to be necessary and he relaxed when she resumed her path to the Infirmary.

"There _is_ no _we_, John." She waved her hand to illustrate. "There's _you_ and there's _me_ but that doesn't make _us_ a _we_." Several medical cases were stacked on one of the exam tables. She stopped to give them a quick check then shrugged the straps of the backpack over her shoulders. Obviously annoyed that he still hadn't gotten the message, she put a hand up to stop him from responding. "I have to _go_. The others are waiting for me."

John stepped in front of her, arms crossed obstinately. "You're not leaving until this is settled."

"Argh! I don't have _time_ for this! There's a village on M27-993 in the midst of an outbreak of a flu-like illness. Mr. Woolsey, after a marathon begging session, has authorized a medical team to go and it's _my turn_. We'll be gone for about three days, maybe more. Do us both a favor and don't be here when I get back." Amanda grabbed her medical cases, ignoring his attempt to help her carry them as she exited the Infirmary with quick purposeful steps.

~~O~~

Peter had his eyes on his tablet, face scrunched in concentration though inside he was dancing with something akin to glee. Next to that creepy Estelle Monroe, Dr. Li was the biggest gossip on the base. He would tell the members of the poker club they'd never invited him to join and the news that he and Weissmuller had spent the night together would be all over the place before dinner. _And Sheppard can't do a damned thing about it!_

~~O~~

Something Amanda said struck a chord in John carrying with it a memory. He closed his eyes to try to bring it into focus. It was one of the dreams he had while in the coma, kicked up now by his churning emotions. In this particular dream Amanda had been culled and fed on by the Wraith while on a mercy mission just like the one she was going on today.

His subconscious taking control of his body, John set off at a run for the transporter, appearing in Operations just as the wormhole shut down. His heavy breathing fueled more by adrenaline than exertion he called to Chuck. "Dial M27-993! Now!"

The Canadian opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before obeying the order. By the time the third chevron had engaged, Woolsey was out of his office and crossing the bridge.

"Stop, Chuck! Colonel, what's going on?"

"I _need_ to go on the mission." John paced three steps in one direction, turned and made the return trip.

"Lorne and his team are perfectly capable of protecting Dr. Cole and the nurses."

"I know."

"Then why do _you_ need to go?"

"I just _really_ need to be on this mission," John said haltingly as he watched Woolsey's eyes waiting for the surrender that never came. "Why don't I just stay here and wait with everyone else?"

Nodding to Chuck to shut down the dialing sequence, Woolsey returned to his office.

"Are you alright, Colonel?" Chuck voiced the concern he and his co-workers had for their CO.

John shrugged evasively. "They're due to check in when?"

"Every six, sir."

Under his breath, John swore. "I'll be here ten minutes before each check-in." With a grunt, he headed for his quarters to change needing to keep his mind off the fact that Amanda would be away from Atlantis and away from his protection for at least seventy-two hours. A good long run ought to do the trick.

~~O~~

Two days and fourteen hours later, John was in the Mess Hall trying to eat and wasn't having much success. Amanda, her staff and escorts were two hours overdue for their most recent check-in which could have been caused by any number of factors, many of them benign. It was the not-so-benign factors that had him worried. And his mind just kept replaying the dream where she'd been culled over and over.

He wouldn't be doing Amanda or anyone else any favors by not keeping up his strength so he took a long drink of the blue stuff he'd gotten hooked on while ill. After belching, he picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite chewing mechanically not really tasting the food.

"_Colonel Sheppard to the Control Room immediately! Colonel Sheppard!_"

~~O~~

John took the steps into Operations in one bound. Woolsey was standing in front of Chuck's workstation, both hands on the edge of the console, a grave expression pinching his lined face. "Colonel, it seems your suspicions concerning this mission were more than just flights of the imagination. Major Lorne has just informed us that Dr. Cole has been kidnapped."

**TBC**


	5. Part 5

**A/N:** Thanks again to ladygris and dwparsnip for their help.

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 5**

"A large group of men on horseback attacked the team. The village leader, Regent Liron believes that she was taken to provide medical assistance for a group of outlaws that live in the hills north of the village. Major Lorne agrees."

"How'd he figure that?" John kept himself still, his training automatically taking over now that he'd be able to take action instead of waiting around, his mind calming for the first time since Amanda had stepped through the 'gate.

"They only took Dr. Cole and the medical supplies, not the other women."

_If they've hurt her they'll need the entire medical staff of Atlantis to put them back together. And even then, I'll make sure there're pieces missing._

"Got it." John turned to Chuck. "Call my team and AR-5. We're taking a Jumper."

The Gate Tech nodded and made the calls. A few minutes later Ronon appeared looking like he'd had his best night's sleep ever. He went up the stairs without a word.

Tapping his headset, Chuck, made another call. "Colonel Sheppard, Teyla and Dr. McKay aren't responding to the page."

"_Leave 'em. We're getting out of here_."

Within fifteen minutes, they were all in the Jumper Bay ready to go.

~~O~~

Her back aching from sitting hunched over her reports too long, Jennifer stood up, stretched and yawned. It was day three of her break-up with Rodney, if that's what it was. They hadn't spoken since he stormed out of her office. Careful questioning of the Mess Hall staff told her he was having his meals delivered to his office, lab and quarters. Probably to avoid accidentally running into her. Or he could be working long hours. There was no way to know.

What she _did_ know was that _she_ needed to make the first move to reunite them and not wait for Rodney to do it. It was her fault for not being completely honest with him from the beginning. Not only this incident, but also the logs from when he'd been suffering from the Second Childhood. Every time he'd asked for them she made up an excuse, mostly because she didn't want him to be embarrassed by his actions during that time period. She'd finally realize that she was doing them both a disservice.

She thought about Dr. Arnett's advice about talking to someone she trusted and ran down the list. Her mentor, Carson was at the top of that list but he was also Rodney's best friend and she didn't want him to think badly of the physicist. She rejected John and Ronon for other reasons, and Amanda was offworld. That left only one person who would understand and that she could trust not to judge.

Her hand lifted to tap her headset but there was no answer to her summons. With a huff of frustration, she left the office and went to the drug cabinet. No way was she _not_ sleeping again tonight.

~~O~~

Amanda was dragged through the halls and up the staircase at the back of the castle so fast she could barely keep up. Her stomach hurt from where she'd been thrown over the back of a horse-like animal in front of a man who'd covered her head with a sack. She'd tried to fight back, but the rider cuffed her on the side of the head so hard she saw stars though she didn't lose consciousness.

When they reached the top of the stairs, he took her to a door at the end of the hall, pushed it open and shoved her in. Two other men had followed with her medical cases. These they set on the floor in the middle of the room then retreated to the hall while her captor stood there with his feet planted shoulder width apart and arms crossed.

He was well over six feet, muscular and bearded. His hair was clean and well-kept though it hadn't seen a pair of scissors in at least a decade. The clothing he and his people wore reminded her of Ronon, as did the small tattoo on his neck, two straight lines, one hooked on the upper end, with a row of dots down the left side and one on the right.

"I am Orsic, leader of these men." His voice, strong and unyielding, had a pleasant timbre, one that seized the attention of those around him.

"My people won't take kindly to having one of their own kidnapped and held against her will. They'll find this place and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when they do."

To her surprise, he laughed. "I'm not afraid of the pitiful excuses for soldiers that accompanied you. They were too easily defeated."

She didn't have a response for that. The only reason she'd been taken was due to the sheer number of outlaws. There'd been so many of them that Lorne and his team had been easily overwhelmed. Captain Billig had given chase on foot with Major Lorne. However, they'd had to give up when one of her captors had thrown a knife and hit AJ a glancing blow on his left shoulder.

Crossing her arms, Amanda lifted her chin defiantly. "You wasted your time bringing me here. Whatever it is, I _won't_ help you."

"You are the healer from offworld." Orsic nodded to the bed against the far wall. "My brother, Ondre has been injured and you must attend him. When he is well enough to care for himself again, you will be returned to your people." His arms dropped to his sides as he took two steps closer. She stood her ground earning a look of admiration from the man. "But remember this, if _he_ dies, _you_ die."

~~O~~

The Jumper burst out of the wormhole, banked around and landed a few meters from the Stargate. When the hatch opened Lorne, Reed, Coughlin and Isabelle were waiting anxiously as John, his substitute team and AR-5 gathered to hear the firsthand report.

"Everyone okay, Major?"

"Billig got a knife in the shoulder, but that's the worst of the injuries. Everything else was minor." Evan indicated the small bandage on his forehead. "At 1400 hours local time, we were headed to the 'gate through the forest when we were attacked by approximately twenty men on horseback. It was a very well executed plan. They knew just what to do to separate Cole from the rest of us then snatched her up and rode away."

"Which way?"

Evan nodded. "Due east, just over an hour."

Pulling out an LSD already programmed to look for Amanda's subcutaneous transponder, he aimed in the direction she'd been taken. No blips appeared on the screen. "Dammit!"

"Her signal stopped about thirty minutes after they left." He signaled Reed over. "Show the Colonel what you found."

The Lieutenant came forward, a scanner in his hand. John looked over his shoulder but the lines and graphs and other stuff meant nothing to him. "As you can see here, sir, the geologic makeup of the hills to the east contains minerals that deflect the scanning impulses instead of allowing them to pass through so we can read the transponders signal."

"Unless we find evidence otherwise, we're gonna assume they kept going due east." He turned to Captain Billig. "Take Marie and Isabelle back to Atlantis and give Woolsey a SitRep. If we're not back in two hours, send in reinforcements."

The injured man stood up as straight as possible with his injury. "Beggin' your pardon, sir, I'd be happy to make the report on your behalf but I'm staying."

"Me too."

"And me!"

John looked from Billig to Marie to Isabelle who looked back at him stubbornly. He knew how they felt. Their friend had been taken and they wanted to see this mission through to the end. "Get in the Jumper. I'll give the SitRep myself."

~~O~~

After bandaging the small cut where Orsic's fingernail had dug into her right wrist, Amanda moved over to the door and listened. Two guards. She didn't bother trying the window because it was too high for her to climb out. And even if she did escape, she had no idea where she was or in which direction to go to reach the Stargate.

She knew for a fact that she would be rescued because the people of Atlantis took care of their own just as she knew that John would be with them whether he loved her or not.

Picking up the largest of the medical cases, she moved over to the canopied bed, calling out softly. "Ondre? My name's Amanda. I'm a doctor. Your brother asked me to look after you." She dragged a small table over beside the bed, set the case on top and opened it. From inside she removed a small package hidden inside a concealed compartment. Unwrapping the waterproof plastic cover, she pulled out a lighter and lit the bedside lamp. "There. Now I can see a little better."

The figure on the bed was on his back but facing away from her, the covers pulled up to his neck. She touched him on the shoulder. "Ondre? I'm here to help you."

Fear stirred deep within her when Ondre's head flopped over to face her. His eyes stared in her direction but saw nothing. Lifting one corner of the covers she almost gagged at the smell of drying blood. The mattress was soaked starting at his shoulders and extending down as far as his knees showing that he'd bled out some time ago. In the middle of his chest was a wad of rags held in place by a longer strip tied around his lower ribs.

Amanda slipped on latex gloves and used a pair of scissors to cut the strip of cloth holding the bloody rags in place then carefully peeled them away. Her quick visual and hands-on assessment had set his time of death approximately two hours ago, long before she'd been brought here. Probably while they were on their way to get her.

Orsic's threat still rang in her head. Thinking furiously, she fell to her knees in front of the other cases and flipped them open in order to do a quick inventory of the contents. _Have to stall, give Atlantis and John time to mount a rescue._

Going back to the bed, she cleaned the body as best she could, opened a drawer and threw in the blood-soaked bandages. Cutting the clothing off, she shoved it in the drawer too then adjusted the position of Ondre's head so he was facing away from the door and put the light out. She pulled the thick covers up to his neck making certain that all the blood was covered then went to the door and pounded on the heavy wood with her fist. "Guards!"

"What do you want, woman?" It was said with contempt, as if the owner of the voice didn't agree with his leader's orders concerning her.

"It's cold in here. Someone needs to start a fire." Amanda could have done it herself, but she wanted to seem as helpless as possible so they wouldn't see her as a threat.

"Stand away from the door!"

Doing as she was told, Amanda moved back to Ondre's side. To make it appear as if she were doing something to help the man, she took hold of his wrist while pretending to count the beats. What she was really doing was looking for anything that might help her get away when the time came. _Please hurry, John!_

~~O~~

Rodney put the finishing touches on the report that the IOA just had to have three days ago and sent it off to Woolsey with a hard jab of the enter key. Rubbing his eyes and glancing at the clock, he realized that he just worked more than a day without stopping. It was just as well. He hadn't felt like sleeping since he spoke to Ronon and Evan to see what they might know about Jennifer being afraid of him. _And that's twenty minutes I'll never get back_.

Another idea came to him as he made his way out of the lab. Instead of going to his room, he went to see the staff psychologist. She'd been sending him emails strongly requesting that they meet just for fifteen minutes as a getting-to-know you session. _What is this, __The Sound of Music__?_

He rang the chime and was admitted.

"Dr. McKay, I'm very glad that you could take time from your very busy schedule to see me."

"Yeah, see that's the thing. I actually need your help." Rodney sat on the end of the short sofa, crossing his knees in an attempt to appear relaxed.

"Call me Sydney. What can I do for you?"

Rodney rubbed his hands together uneasily. "Hypnotize me."

~~O~~

Soon the fire was roaring and the room began to warm almost immediately. Amanda met the guard in the middle of the room though she kept her distance so he wouldn't think she was trying to escape. "Thank you. Can someone to bring water and something to heat it in? I need to sterilize my equipment and clean his wounds."

This man was smaller than Orsic by at least five inches and forty pounds. Even so, he was still taller and stronger than her dashing the brief flicker of hope that she'd be able to fight her way out.

He walked to a door on the far side of the room. Opening it, he showed Amanda how to use the pump in the bathroom sink. It looked like the well pumps found in kitchens from the early 1900's on Earth though she'd still have to heat the water. "Thanks." She waited for him to leave but he didn't, just continued to watch her in a way she didn't like at all. "I'll, uh, let you know if I need anything else."

Still he stayed, watching her reflectively. When she made to go back into the bedroom, his hand shot out to block her way. "What are you called?"

She couldn't see any reason not to tell him so… "Amanda."

"I am Zahir." The hand not obstructing her exit reached out to touch a blonde curl that had escaped from the elastic. "There has not been a woman within these walls in many lunar cycles aside from the old woman who cooks and the ones who come in to clean."

Her gaze on his face, she tried to keep her voice calm. "Boss won't let you bring your girlfriends to the hideout?"

"No. Orsic prefers that we get our pleasure from the next village. But now that you are here, perhaps that won't be necessary."

Sounding more confident than she felt, she smirked. "That's very flattering, but I have someone waiting for me at home."

"Oh?" He looked as if he didn't believe her. "What is his name?"

"Why?" Amanda found a pot under the sink and filled it with water.

"You are a beautiful woman and I would know the name of my rival for your…" his eyes scanned her body down to her feet and back up to her face making her wish she'd kept the TAC vest on, "…affections." He took the pot from her, carried it to the fire and hung it on a metal bar that swung out.

A pair of hazel eyes topped by unruly dark brown hair appeared in her mind. "John. His name is John."

"And you love this man?" Crouching in front of the fireplace, he positioned the pot inside and used the poker to stir the fire. It flared higher reflecting in his dark eyes.

"Very much."

Brushing his hands down the legs of his pants, he stood up again still watching her in that way. "For one who is so in love, you do not seem happy."

Moving back to Ondre's bedside, she took the thermometer out and inserted it into his ear. "Maybe because I've been kidnapped, thrown over the back of a horse, dragged through the halls of a cold, damp castle that looks like it's about to fall down, my arm nearly yanked out of its socket, and told that if my patient dies, _I _will too. Doesn't really make for a warm and fuzzy attitude."

Walking over to one of the cases sitting open on the floor, he crouched again, pulling out a sealed packet of sterile gauze. Tossing the package back in the case, he turned toward her without standing. "What if I could guarantee your safety?"

Amanda stopped working for a moment then continued. Her tone said she was interested but didn't think he'd be able to follow through on any promises. "You can _do_ that?" She heard him moving around, his boots making muffled thumps on the carpeting.

"If, by some stroke of fate, Ondre were to perish, then I would become Orsic's second. As my woman, he would allow you to live."

Taking out a penlight, she flashed it in Ondre's eyes and let him believe she was intrigued with his offer. "What's in it for me? I mean aside from the not getting killed part?" When he spoke, it sounded like he was not more than two meters away.

"We will make love every night and you will bear me as many strong sons and daughters as this keep can hold. When I am gone, our children will take my place as the leader."

She snorted. "An heir and a few spares, huh? But you're NOT the leader." He laughed and she turned to see him staring out the window.

"True, but soon I will be. Like his brother, Orsic will not live forever."

Fighting to keep the fear out of her voice, Amanda asked, "What makes you think Ondre's not going to live to a ripe old age?"

Zahir laughed again and it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Ondre's wound was not nearly as bad as Orsic thought when he left to bring you here. While his brother slept, I took steps to guarantee that he would never again see the sun in the morning, the stars at night or the woman for whom he would give his own life." He was beside her so quickly she hadn't a chance to keep from being trapped between the bed and table.

"As much as I'd like to take you up on your offer, I think I'll take my chances with Orsic. He seems to be a reasonable man. I'm sure…"

Until this moment, Zahir had been genial, almost charming, but the expression that crossed his face at her rejection had turned to rage. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her against his chest, snarling. "You will stay with me and bear my children!"

His grip was so tight Amanda wasn't able to stop a small yelp of pain. His foul breath brushed across her face as he lowered his head to kiss her. She turned her head to the side at the last moment angering him further. With a growl, he flung her into center of the room. She was just able to keep her feet under her and as he stalked toward her, she lifted her chin fearlessly, her hazel eyes daring him to strike her.

**TBC**


	6. Part 6

**A/N:** Again, I must thank ladygris for all her help. If you enjoy this chapter, it will be because of the incorporation of her ideas into the story.

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 6**

The room was dimly lit and quiet, conducive to relaxation even for Rodney who was stretched out on the sofa, his head on a pillow and his shoeless feet on the arm. He'd taken his jacket off in order to get comfortable and had his eyes closed while the shrink spoke in a low, soothing voice, timing her words to his breathing.

"…Every word that I utter is putting you faster and deeper, and faster and deeper, into a deep…peaceful state of hypnosis…"

For some reason he didn't understand, it was easier for him to relax with Dr. Arnett than it had been with Teyla.

"…Now you are resting comfortably in a deep, peaceful state of hypnosis…going deeper and faster and deeper and faster all the time, until I bring you back. You will only accept those suggestions which are for your benefit, and that you are willing to accept…"

A peacefulness settled over Rodney as his hands, which had been laced together over his stomach, slowly slid down to rest as his sides. Inside his head, he awaited further instructions from the voice.

"…Rodney, we're going to go back a few weeks to the day after you returned from the mission to M7M-536 with Major Lorne's team. Tell me what happened."

In a sleepy voice, Rodney began to speak. "I went to the workout room and a few minutes after I got there, Teyla came. I could feel her before she arrived. It was like having thousands of eyes watching you, looking into your soul and wanting only your death."

~~O~~

Teyla walked into the Infirmary carrying a crying Torren. He pulled at his right ear and hiccupped as his mother jiggled him on her hip.

Jennifer tucked the Ambien capsule into her pocket and waved the Athosian over. "What's wrong, little guy?" She brushed a hand down the boy's dark hair.

"He has not slept tonight and keeps tugging his ear."

"Sounds like an earache." Jennifer put both hands out and the boy readily came to her. Her movements quick yet gentle, she confirmed the diagnosis and prescribed treatment. Before long, he had stopped crying was smiling sleepily at them. Teyla tried to take him but Jennifer shook her head and the women left the Infirmary together. "Teyla, I need…what I…"

"You are looking for a confidant." She smiled when Jennifer nodded. "I'm happy to help in any way I can."

Jennifer patted Torren's back as they walk slowly down the darkened halls of Atlantis. "I supposed the only way to do this is to just start talking."

Teyla pursed her lips in mild amusement. "That is usually how it begins, yes."

Not certain exactly how to start, Jennifer took several deep breaths. "Remember the night Rodney had to be taken to the brig?"

"I do indeed. It was disconcerting to see him changing and even more so for him to believe I was his queen."

For the first time in days, Jennifer actually felt like laughing. "Though it did work to our advantage." They arrived at Teyla's quarters and Jennifer sat on the sofa still holding the sleeping child.

Teyla left the room and returned with two cups of hot tea. Setting them aside, she took the boy and laid him in his bed while Jennifer sipped the hot brew. When Teyla was again seated beside her, she began her tale. "That evening, I went to Rodney's quarters to tell him what we'd discovered about the Wraith DNA overwriting his human DNA. We met at his door then went into his room. He wanted to…well, he _didn't_ want to listen.

"Since the accident, he'd been showing a remarkable increase in his strength and stamina but this was the first time he…" She paused again still not wanting to express the events. Steeling her resolve, she continued. "He uh, threw me on the bed and…"

~~O~~

At the controls of the Jumper, John brought up the HUD. Just as he'd hoped, when they got past the first group of hills, Amanda's transponder signal returned. "There she is." Though they didn't feel anything, an icon on the screen began to flash indicating that the Jumper was now cloaked.

Evan was in the co-pilot's seat. "How we gonna play this, sir?"

John slanted his eyes over to Evan then back to the HUD. "We go in, get her, and come out. If anyone gets in our way or she's been hurt…"

"…we'll all come down with Sergeant Schultz Syndrome."

Evan raised one eyebrow when Ronon asked, "What?"

"You'll see." With a grin, Evan faced front again. "Let's do this thing, Colonel."

John acknowledged Evan with a nod and concentrated on flying. Now that he was acting instead of waiting his mind and body were coiled like a spring, ready for anything.

~~O~~

"What else?" Dr. Arnett leaned forward to hear him better when his voice dropped down to a whisper.

"We sparred and I was amazing! Better than I've ever been." His eyebrows came together over his nose in confusion. "I…tried to choke her with the Bantos rods. Felt myself wanting to just keep pressing them against her throat until she stopped moving."

"But you didn't."

"No. She's my friend and I care about her."

"What happened next?"

"I got…angry, enraged. She was saying things about me that weren't true. I could see it in her mind until she blocked me."

He began getting agitated so the doctor skipped ahead. "Let's forget about that for now. What happened later that night?"

"Jennifer called me as I was going to my quarters to shower and change. When she got there we kissed and…" He stopped speaking, his limbs beginning to twitch as his head turned side to side. His breathing increased alarmingly, sweat popped out on his face and chest above the T-shirt's collar as the twitching turned into thrashing.

Dr. Arnett had seen this before. Something happened that was so horrifying, at least to him that his mind refused to allow him to recall the event. It would surface eventually but for now they had to leave it alone. Rodney's blood pressure was always a concern and she was certain his was very high. "Rodney, listen to me. You're back in your room and you're alone, resting peacefully on your special mattress…"

Rodney's agitation slowly calmed until his arms and legs were no longer flailing about. She continued to speak in the same peaceful monotone. "…and when you wake you'll feel rested and refreshed and you will remember everything we talked about. Five…you're beginning to awaken…four…your mind is tranquil, calm, worry-free…three…you're coming closer to consciousness…two…"

When Dr. Arnett reached one, Rodney opened his eyes, blinking when she turned on the overhead light. He sat up rubbing his eyes and wiping the sweat from his face. "Did it work?"

The dark-haired unassuming woman gave him a non-committal smile. "You tell me. What do you remember?"

"Uh, the mission back to the planet. I started a firefight with the Wraith. Sparring with Teyla. I was really good, too! But I already remembered those events."

"What else?"

Rodney thought for a moment his face a mask of confusion. "Meeting Jennifer outside my quarters and…nothing after that. _Why_ can't I remember?"

"Your mind just isn't ready to bring those memories out into the open. Don't try to force it. They'll show themselves when they're ready and not before." She waited until he'd gone to insert a pair of earbuds and begin the playback of the recording she'd made of the session.

~~O~~

Evan Lorne watched his commanding officer from the corner of his eye while he pretended to check and recheck his weapons. He'd seen the way John looked at Amanda and she at him though they both probably thought they were being subtle with the coy glances and their hands accidentally brushing together when they sat next to each other in the Mess Hall.

But he'd seen them leaving the arboretum together on more than a few occasions. To his knowledge, John had never set foot in the place until recently. Then there were times when John would be coming out of Amanda's quarters late at night with his shirt partially unbuttoned and running a hand through his more rumpled than usual hair.

He wished them both the best and hoped it all worked out. They deserved to be happy _and_ they were good for each other or they would be if John could ever loosen up enough to admit it.

~~O~~

When Jennifer finished her account of events, Teyla took her hand again, thinking what to say that would make it all not seem so bad, but words wouldn't come, not yet. She knew what people were capable of given the right circumstances. That Rodney had done what had just been revealed to her was unsettling even given the situation.

"If it has _you_ speechless…"

"I do not know if he told you, but Rodney and I sparred immediately before your…encounter." Jennifer shook her head not quite understanding how it related to her story. "He was strong and adept as I had never seen him. When we were done, I felt his mind becoming hostile in a way it never had before. Because we could sense each other's thoughts by this time, I blocked him, removed myself from his presence and came to see you. If I had not angered him…"

"It's not your fault." Now it was Jennifer's turn to comfort Teyla. The women held each other's hands tightly. "If it had happened later, he might have…it could have been much worse."

"Can you forgive me for stirring his emotions to the point that he did what he did?"

"There's nothing to forgive. The only fault lies with Wraith that may have died ten thousand years ago, the ones that were performing the experiments."

Teyla gripped Jennifer's hand a little tighter for a moment then released her. "Perhaps now you will be able to speak of this to Rodney. He needs to understand that the possibility of the same situation reoccurring is nonexistent and that your love is as strong as it ever was."

Nodding, Jennifer stood up and impulsively hugged the Athosian.

~~O~~

The discharge of an energy weapon sounded loud within the confines of the room just before the thump of a body shook the floor to Amanda's left. She gasped when a pair of strong hands gently touched her shoulders. Raising her head, she saw the front of a shirt with lacing at the collar, a bearded chin and finally Orsic's light brown eyes.

"Did he hurt you?"

"Uh, no. I-I'm…fine. He just…" Her nose crinkled at the acrid smell of burnt flesh.

Orsic slowly released her then stepped away. "My men were told not to disturb or harm you in any way and he disobeyed."

Watching Zahir's body being dragged from the room, she rounded on Orsic. "Did you _have_ to kill him? Why didn't you just have him, I don't know, _flogged_ or something?"

The outlaw leader didn't seem to understand why she was upset. "Flogged? As in beaten? In my experience it does not instill fear in others as does the death of one of their own at my hand. It is how I maintain discipline." His eyes finally turned from hers to the bed. "Has my brother awakened yet?"

Kicking herself for not having a story ready, Amanda said the first thing that came to mind. "No. I've had to put him in a medically induced coma." At his blank stare, she explained, "A patient is given a combination of drugs to put them into a very deep sleep. It's done to accelerate healing."

"Ah." He turned back to her when he reached the door. "Are you hungry? Thirsty? I can have something brought up, if you like."

"Um, that would be nice. Thanks. And some broth for Ondre when he wakes."

At the door, Orsic faced her once more. "Please forgive my manners. I have never asked your name."

"It's Amanda."

"On my world, it means 'beloved'."

"Mine too."

Nodding in response, he left to see to her request. She kept her smile in place until the door shut then went into the bathroom and brought out a bowl of water. Not bothering to heat it, she hurried to the bed. Whipping back the covers, she began working on the dead man, trying to figure out how she was going to make him appear to be alive the next time his brother came in.

~~O~~

The Jumper landed a quarter of a klick from the castle, though castle was a grand name for the rundown and neglected stone and wood edifice. The remains of a gate were scattered in front of the entrance while other pieces hung drunkenly from above. In many places the stone was worn by the elements as if no one had lived there in a very long time. The grass was overgrown and filled with weeds.

Two guards stood sentry taking turns pacing, sitting, looking bored and napping. Ronon watched them without blinking. "I'll go." He took out his weapon, set it to stun and slipped it back into the holster.

"Not without back-up." John's tone was obstinate.

"Didn't say I was." Ronon gave John a significant stare.

With a sardonic smile, Evan said, "Have fun stormin' da castle."

John rolled his eyes at the quote from one of his favorite movies and after a few terse instructions to the men, John and Ronon exited the Jumper. They ran from tree to tree then bush to bush until they were close enough to hear the men conversing in hushed tones.

With a confident nod, Ronon came to his feet and walked boldly up to the entrance. Not realizing that he was uttering one of the corniest lines from science fiction, he told the men "Take me to your leader."

~~O~~

After her talk with Teyla, Jennifer felt better than she had for a while and decided that Sydney was right. In the weeks since Team Sheppard's latest tangle with alien tech, she hadn't told Rodney that she loved him. Probably because she couldn't, not without remembering that night.

When she got to Rodney's lab the door was open but she didn't see anyone. About to leave, she heard a familiar snore and followed the sound to the back room where she saw Rodney asleep with his head on his desk. His back and neck would hurt in the morning if he slept like that all night so she shook him. He looked blearily at her as if he wasn't sure who she was and obediently followed her down the hall to the transporter.

On the barracks level, she kept urging him down the hall until they were in front of his room. Passing her hand over the sensor, she sent him inside with a poke in the back. Rubbing his eyes, he turned when she called his name.

"Yeah?"

He blinked at her then turned away when she stayed silent. Just before the door closed, she said, "I love you, Rodney. Never forget that, no matter what."

~~O~~

Sitting with Madelena in the bar, Peter did his best to hide the fact that he was royally pissed off. Mostly at Sheppard for not being here to see him with her and a little at her because she was all over him. One romp between the sheet and she wanted to turn it into a lifetime commitment. Well, he was not going there, at least not with her.

On the other hand, a public display between them was bound to get back to Sheppard at light speed. Taking her hand from where it was resting on his thigh, he kissed the back of it and pulled her to her feet. Out on the dance floor, he let his hands rest on her waist as hers wound around his neck. They swayed to the music and he let his hands slide down to rest on the upper curve of her backside. She sighed and tucked her head into the crook of his neck and shoulder.

The song was nearing the end and it was time. Dragging his palms up her back and around to her sides, Peter kept going until his palms brushed the sides of her too small breasts. Urging her to lift her head, one hand came up to cup her cheek and just as the song ended, he kissed her. The kiss went on for so long, they drew a crowd.

When they pulled apart, the crowd just stared as he took her by the hand and led her from the room.

~~O~~

It didn't take long for Ronon to disarm the guards. They were nothing more than petty thugs who'd managed to get in good with a group that had no doubt promised them more riches and women than they'd ever want or need.

It was dusk and the scarcity of noise from inside told them either most of the residents were out on a raid or already asleep. John's money was on the raid.

Just inside the entrance was a large open area that appeared to be a combination workout/training area with a stable off to their left. The ground was dirt and straw with a large grouping of flat stones on the far side of the entrance, a patio without furniture.

"Here." Ronon was crouched next to a patch of dirt that had been wet and bore the imprint of a boot. John crouched next to his friend. "Cole's."

Keeping one eye on the battlements around the inside of the courtyard, Evan whispered over his shoulder. "How can you tell?" The Satedan gave him a sour look and Evan left it alone.

Pointing toward the far right corner, Ronon led the way to the open door. He listened then waved the others in, he and John bringing up the rear.

Lorne held up a hand then waved John and Ronon forward until they were crouched at the bottom of the rear staircase. Coughlin, Reed and one from AR-5 watched the back door while the rest of AR-5 kept a close watch on the hall that led to the front.

John was about to head up the stairs when he heard a man's voice raised in anger and a woman's scream.

**TBC**


	7. Part 7

**A/N:** As always, thanks to ladygris for her encouragement and help with this chapter.

Thanks a bunch!

~ Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 7**

Jennifer returned to her quarters, kicked off her shoes and took a bottle of water from the mini 'fridge. Fishing the Ambien from her pocket, she set it on the bedside table next to the water and got into bed. She'd give herself fifteen minutes to fall asleep then she'd take the pill.

She thought about everything that Sydney and Teyla had said. They were both right. She'd actually said the words out loud and the sky hadn't fallen, the Wraith hadn't attacked and her head hadn't exploded. Rubbing her hand over the bruise she noticed that it no longer hurt. Turning the light on, she pushed the sleeve of her pj's up to her shoulder. With a gasp she saw that the bruise that had refused to go away was gone. Had she been seeing things or had it been her mind's way of telling her to get over it and get on with her life?

She tossed off the covers and went to the closet. Digging frantically in the bottom, she found it. Pressing the pillow to her nose, she inhaled deeply. It still smelled like Rodney. Inhaling his scent again, she waited for the fear and anxiety to beset her as it had but it didn't. Hugging the pillow to her, she climbed back into bed, switched out the light and went to sleep.

~~O~~

The food Orsic had brought Amanda sat untouched on the table though she did drink the tea. Silently she thanked him for not giving her wine because her stomach was in knots and she needed to keep a clear head if she wanted him to believe his brother was still alive. In a moment of bizarre humor, she thought of a movie, the first one she and John had ever seen together as friends, _Weekend at Bernie's_.

After she'd finished adjusting the position of Ondre's body, she tucked the covers up around his neck then went to the fire and used the poker to stir the embers making it flare brighter. She wasn't sure if she was shaking from the chill in the air or from fear though she managed to keep up a good front whenever Orsic came in.

Going to the door, she pressed her ear against it but didn't hear anyone moving about. The guard could be asleep or non-existent. She hadn't tried to open the door to check and didn't want to be caught doing it.

Stall. All she had to do was stall a little longer. She'd seen John and his people in action enough to know that rescue was imminent.

And when she got home, the first thing she wanted was a long hot bath and to spend the night in John's arms, if he'd let her. That's all. At least for tonight, or however long it took for the bad dreams to stop.

There was a knock on the door and Amanda wondered why they bothered. She was a captive, not a guest. Why not just walk in? Then she remembered what Orsic had said about not disturbing her. After he'd killed Zahir for doing much more than that, she could see how the others would go out of their way to be respectful.

She quickly moved the vegetables around on the plate then picked up what looked like a medium rare steak and took a bite so it would appear that she'd been eating. "Come in."

It was Orsic again. He'd made it a habit to check on his brother's condition every twenty minutes or so since Zahir had been taken away. She went back to the table and took another bite of the meat. With a silent gasp, she watched Orsic approach the bed, but didn't dare say anything for fear of giving it all away. If he became suspicious…

"How is he doing?"

Amanda shrugged and sighed. "The same."

"You'll send for me if he wakes?"

"Of course." She broke off a piece of biscuit and put it in her mouth as Orsic closed the door behind him.

She hadn't lied when she told him Ondre was the same. He would always be just as he is, as he was when she'd arrived. He'd never awaken again.

Amanda watched Orsic leave, knowing her ruse couldn't last much longer. She needed a better plan, a better defense. She needed a weapon, something other than a scalpel. She needed _training_. So many times John and Major Lorne had tried to set her up with a training regimen but life kept getting in the way. _When I get home we're gonna do it!_ Frustration at her lack of self-defense skills kicked in, leaving her brooding when Orsic returned.

~~O~~

Reed turned his head peering down a short hall that led who knew where. He'd heard something, just a small sound. At least he thought he had.

"What?" Coughlin asked who hadn't heard anything.

"Stay here. I'm gonna check it out." Reed's eyes scanned left and right as he inched down the hallway. When he got near the door at the far end, his left hand reached out to slowly ease the door open. Without warning, he was smacked in the face with the flat bottom of a skillet. Of course, he had no idea what he'd been hit with as stars circled around and around inside his head. He sagged against the doorjamb and saw a boney fist coming toward him a split second before hitting his left eye. That hand drew back for a second strike but was stopped by Coughlin.

The hand was attached to the stick thin arm of an older woman with gray hair tucked into a bun. She was shorter than either man by more than a head but fought like a tiger. When she began to scream, Coughlin covered her mouth with his hand while the Sergeant from AR-5 tied her hands and feet, and gagged the mouth that had begun to spew what they took to be her world's version of curse words. She thrashed around so much it took both of them to carry her into the pantry and set her on a huge bag of flour instead of laying her on the floor. Outside again, they shoved the back of a chair under the doorknob effectively locking her inside.

That done, Coughlin checked on his team member who gave him a sheepish smile. The three men turned as one when they heard shouting and saw Sheppard and Ronon taking the stairs two at a time. Their first instinct was to follow but they waited for their commander's orders. Sure enough, they followed in their CO's footsteps.

At the end of the hall, they saw Sheppard holding a weapon to the back of another man's head. Ordering them to silence, Evan motioned them to check out the other rooms on the floor as he and Coughlin crept toward the action.

~~O~~

Rodney changed into his pj's. He was so tired he could barely keep a coherent thought in his head. The only one that would stay was Jennifer's parting words after she'd brought him to his quarters. _I love you, Rodney. Never forget that, no matter what._

He didn't know what possessed Jennifer to come to him tonight after the silence of the past few days, but he didn't care. She still loved him and that was all that mattered. Flopping over onto his stomach, he went to sleep.

~~O~~

When Orsic returned, the expression on Amanda's face caused him concern. "What is my brother's condition?"

She shook her head. "There's no change. I'm sorry."

The offworld doctor was again between him and his brother only now it seemed as if she were hiding something. There was also the way she would no longer meet his eyes. "You will awaken my brother _now_ so that I may speak to him."

"I can't do that. He's still in a coma and it would be detrimental to his recovery if…"

He stepped forward to take her by the shoulders and forcibly remove her, ignoring her protests. Lighting the oil lamp, he turned the wick until it was bright enough to push away some of the gloom cast by the setting sun and dying fire. "Ondre?" The big man reached out to touch his brother's shoulder finding it stiff and cold. He grabbed the edge of the covers and tossed them to the foot of the bed. The all too familiar smell of blood and death rose up to greet him.

Spinning around, he stalked toward Amanda standing at the foot of the bed, her eyes showing fear for the first time. She spoke to him but he ignored her words as she backed away from him. A tear in the carpet tripped her and she fell to the floor with a yelp. She tried to crawl away from him as he pulled the blaster from its holster automatically thumbing it up to kill. "My brother and I were two of the last of my people still alive following the culling of our world and now he is dead." Again she tried to speak but he cut her off. "You will join him."

Orsic watched her roll onto her side and hide her face. He'd expected her to plead for her life. That she didn't greatly impressed him though it wouldn't change her fate. If he didn't follow through with his promise, the men under his command would lose respect for him and his position as their leader would be in jeopardy.

He aimed the blaster at her head. She had to die but he would do her the courtesy of making it quick.

~~O~~

Woolsey came out of his office and crossed to Operations. "Time, Chuck?"

"Coming up on the two hour mark, sir. Shall I ready a team to go after them?"

The commander drummed the fingers of his right hand on the console. "Not yet. Colonel Sheppard and his people have never let us down. We'll give them another thirty minutes before committing additional troops to this operation."

"Yes, sir."

~~O~~

Amanda knew the jig was up when Orsic lit the lamp. He would see what she'd been hiding from him since the beginning and follow through on his threat.

"I'm sorry I deceived you but you left me no choice. Ondre…" He came toward her, grief and rage chasing each other across his strong features. Under much different circumstances, she would have thought him handsome. "He was…" Speaking as she backed away from him, she was cut off as she tried to explain. "Orsic, _please_ listen to me…"

She'd done nothing wrong. The only reason she was here was because she was a doctor, one with skills that far surpassed those of the people on this world. What he didn't realize was that he needn't have abducted her. If he'd asked, she'd willingly have come with him even if it had meant defying orders.

The whine of his blaster powering up came just as she tripped causing her to stumble and fall. She crawled backward using her hands and feet but had nowhere to go. Rolling onto her side, she turned away from him, not wanting to watch, refusing to beg for her life. _I love you, John._

~~O~~

"Amanda!" John whispered and met Ronon's eyes for a millisecond before both men charged up the stairs two at a time, leaving Evan and his team to deal with stragglers.

At the top of the stairs, John saw the door standing open at the end of the hall. All they could see was the broad back of a man, his right arm raised, and on the floor, her body curled and arms covering her head, was the woman he loved. Yes, it was way past time to admit it not only to himself but to _her_ that he loved her. And he did, very much.

As if in slow motion, John ran the length of the hall. Ignoring his P-90, he pulled out the Glock. Stepping up behind Orsic, he pressed the muzzle against the back of his head and thumbed back the hammer.

The man's body stiffened at the contact though the hand holding the energy pistol didn't waver. When John spoke, Orsic glanced once over his shoulder.

"If I were you, I'd think long and hard about what my next move is going to be because if _she_ dies, _you_ die." John didn't know he was giving Amanda's captor the exact same choice that had been given to her and wouldn't have cared anyway.

After a moment's hesitation, Orsic spread his arms wide and stood stock still while John took his weapon and passed it to Ronon who shoved it into the waistband of his pants. When the now former leader of the outlaws turned, a look of recognition passed between the two men. "Orsic. Thought you were dead."

"Until a few years ago, I had the same thoughts about you, old friend."

Sounds of fighting came from the first floor, but were ignored by the occupants of the room.

"We were never friends."

"True, though we did serve together under Kell." Despite the dark veil of anger that crossed Ronon's face, Orsic smiled. "Thank you for killing him, by the way."

"Might do the same to you."

Ronon pushed Orsic toward the door while John went to Amanda's side. She looked up at him as he engaged the safety and holstered his weapon, never taking his eyes off of her. He held out his hands to help her up and when she was on her feet again, she gripped his hands tightly, eyes wide and her breathing coming in short gasps. A moment later, she'd been gathered into his arms, held tightly against his chest. "Amanda."

She gasped at the use of her first name and the fact that he was hugging her in front of, well, anyone. "John. I-I thought…"

Before she could finish, there was a commotion in the hall when Evan and the others arrived.

If his 2IC thought it odd to find his superior hugging a woman, he didn't show it. Behind him, Reed was nursing a split lip and would have a heck of a shiner by the time they returned to Atlantis. Seeing where John was looking, Evan shrugged. "Sorry we're late. Reed had a fight with his new girlfriend. What did we miss?"

"Not much, I…"

Ronon was nudging Orsic out the door when the medical doctor called for them to stop. "Orsic, your brother was _dead_ long before I was brought here."

Her former captor snorted. "I do _not_ believe you."

That look was in her eyes again, the one John was afraid of, but it wasn't for him this time. "Argh! It's _true_. Zahir admitted to killing him. He also had plans to kill _you_ as well so he could take over your little band of thieves and killers."

"Then I am sorry his death was so quick." That was the last word before Ronon, Reed and AR-5 escorted him from the room.

~~O~~

Amanda cried out in pain as she finally put her full weight on both feet. "Ow!"

"What…"

"Twisted my ankle-Oh!"

John scooped her up and carried her to the chair in front of the fireplace. Coughlin had been ordered to stay behind and assist in any way he could. Now he went to the medical supplies and retrieved a compression bandage handing it to Amanda who then passed it to John.

John took off Amanda's right boot and sock then knelt, her foot resting on his thigh while he carefully wrapped her swollen ankle. When he was done, he let his hands linger on her calf for just a moment before pulling her pants leg down and standing. His eyes kept contact with hers, telling her in a glance all the things he hadn't been able to say until now. He still hadn't said them, but he would and soon.

Again, John picked her up, her arms going around his neck. She cuddled into him as he carried her down the stairs and away from this horrible place. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, he felt her warm breath hitting the side of his neck just before she whispered into his ear, "I _knew_ you would come for me." He tightened his hold, letting the hand around her back lightly curl into her ribs in reply.

As they were crossing the courtyard, they heard shouting and weapons fire. Coughlin and John shared a look as they increased their speed then came to a halt as he remembered Amanda. He didn't want to take her into the line of fire. "Lieutenant?"

"Want me to go, sir?"

John was torn between going to the aid of his men or staying with Amanda. He knew which he preferred though he raised an eyebrow at her in question. She smiled and nodded. "Here." He passed Amanda to Coughlin and took off at a jog. "And _don't_ let her down. She's injured."

"Aye, sir." But John was already gone. Coughlin stood in the courtyard of the castle holding his CO's girlfriend, the silence becoming awkward and strained.

To break the tension, Amanda cleared her throat. "Um, how you been, Lieutenant?"

"Not bad, ma'am. Yourself?"

"Better now." One arm around his neck, she paused searching frantically for something else to say. "Left my TAC vest in the room with…you know. Think you could get it for me?"

The young man lifted one corner of his mouth in a half-smile. "Love to, ma'am, but if I left you here alone, the boss would have me court-marshaled."

"Oh. Yeah." She gave him a similar half-smile. "The IOA'll probably doc my pay." Their friend awkward silence returned and Amanda looked around for inspiration seeing a stone bench off to their left and back towards the main building. "How about we have a seat, Lieutenant?"

Coughlin turned to look in the direction she was pointing and gratefully moved in that direction. With a grunt, he seated himself with her on his lap and sighed in relief. Amanda made to get up but he tightened his grip. "Sorry, ma'am."

"_Fine._" Amanda huffed in exasperation. "Got any water?"

~~O~~

Ronon stayed behind Orsic all the way to the exit. It was curiously quiet after all the noise that had been made when the Atlanteans broke in and rescued Amanda. He'd expected it to be hard to get in and even harder to get out. That it hadn't been either bothered him. Poking Orsic in the back, he asked, "Where're your men?"

"They've gone to the next village."

Evan flanked the outlaw on the left while Reed did the same on the right. "Raiding party?"

In spite of the circumstances, Orsic laughed. "No. My men work and train hard. This is their night to play." His captors didn't appear to be as amused by that information as he was. "What will you do with me?"

Shooting a glance at Ronon, Evan shrugged. "If it were up to me, you'd be dropped off on an uninhabited planet and left to fend for yourself. And to make sure you stayed, naturally we'd have to remove the control crystals from the DHD."

"How would _you_ leave then?"

The Major reached into a pocket and produced a remote. He pointed it at what appeared to be an empty field and the Jumper shimmered into sight. "Has its own DHD. And it's _not_ up to me. That's Colonel Sheppard's decision but being as you kidnapped and assaulted a friend of his, I doubt he'll be that nice. We'll probably turn you over to the local constabulary. I'm sure they've got someplace dark and damp they can keep you for twenty or thirty years."

~~O~~

The more the one called Lorne talked the less Orsic liked where this conversation was headed. Incarceration for what could be the rest of his life just didn't appeal to a man who'd narrowly escaped the devastation of his home world.

The day the Wraith came to Sateda, he and Ondre had dialed the 'gate randomly barely making it to this world alive. Their skills in the military had served them well when it came time to begin making a life and a living in a strange place.

But time had passed as all things must.

Using his eyes and ears, he counted his captors and their positions relative to himself as well as the forest. Ronon was the most dangerous. They'd both been trained by one of the most ruthless military strategists the galaxy had ever known. Summoning all of his strength, he spun, pushing Ronon's right hand up and away, turned and elbowed him repeatedly in the face. Orsic knew his former squad member would die before he'd let someone take his weapon so instead of trying to disarm him, he flipped him over his back then kicked him in the ribs and stomach several times when he tried to get up.

The Earth humans, their weapons useless in close quarters, fought him hand-to-hand. However, like Ronon, he was a formidable opponent and soon they were all on the ground in various stages of pain and consciousness.

Twisting the Glock from the hand of a downed Marine, Orsic ran into the forest.

**TBC**


	8. Part 8

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 8**

John arrived in time to help Reed to his feet. Ronon, Evan and AR-5 were already in pursuit of the fleeing Orsic, shooting and shouting to each other as they closed in on their quarry. After determining that the Lieutenant was okay, John raised his P-90 and headed in the same direction. Before he'd gone more than a few meters, the voices stopped, the discharge of an energy pistol sounding very loud in the sudden quiet.

His left hand had just touched his radio when the men emerged from within the trees, two of them dragging Orsic's body between them. They dumped him at John's feet, their faces bland, almost bored.

"What happened?"

Ronon glanced around at his companions, crossed his arms and thrust one hip to the side. "He ran."

~~O~~

Coughlin shifted and adjusted Amanda's position slightly, her arms tightening around his neck. She was about to suggest again that he let her sit beside him on the bench when his radio squawked.

"_Sheppard to Coughlin_."

The Lieutenant looked down at his radio and back to Amanda. "Ma'am, do you mind?" He waited as she pressed the button. "Coughlin."

"_Come on out, Lieutenant. The coast is clear._"

"Yes, sir." He'd already gotten to his feet and begun moving in that direction in anticipation of the order. All conversation came to a halt when he appeared with his cargo, Evan doing a classic double-take that would have been funny under other circumstances. Heck, it was funny _now_.

"Uh, Lieutenant, what…" Evan started to say.

Trying to stand at attention, Coughlin said, "Sorry, sir. Orders."

~~O~~

Madelena propped her head on her hand and watched Peter sleeping. Until the other night, she hadn't once entertained the idea of dating him much less sleeping with him yet here she was in his bed again. He was facing away from her, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.

She touched his hair, letting the ash blonde strands flow through her fingers. When they'd first come to Atlantis, he'd had long hair. Then one day, for no good reason she could tell, he'd cut it. Now it had grown out to just below his shoulders. She hoped he'd continue to let it grow as she loved long hair on a man. Hers was kept fairly short because it was curly and had a tendency to frizz in humid weather.

With a deep sigh, she scooted down, turned on her side and slipped her arm around his chest.

~~O~~

John tried to keep his expression serious though Amanda could tell he was highly amused at Evan's reaction to the situation. Back in John's possession, she marveled at the fact that he was treating her reverently instead of keeping her at arm's length as he had been when in the company of others. She'd known that, no matter what his personal feelings, he would do everything possible to bring her home, and he did. But it was more than that. It was as if this incident had changed him in ways she couldn't even begin to understand. At least not yet.

Though she only weighed one-eighteen…okay, one-twenty-fi-seven, and John was strong, he had to be tiring from carrying her so far. She'd tried to get him to let her walk but he refused. So, she just hung on and let him do what he wanted to do. Sometimes that was the only way to get what _she_ wanted. If she was patient, she'd be getting everything she wanted and very soon.

~~O~~

Evan, Reed, Coughlin, Ronon and AR-5 surrounded their CO keeping watch on the immediate area just in case the outlaws showed up. The occasional chuckle was heard as the men discussed what Orsic's followers would say when they returned drunk and sexually sated to find their leader and his brother dead. Before they'd begun the return trip to the Jumper, Evan had ordered two of the Marines to carry Orsic to the entrance of the castle so he'd be found. The men had done him one better and shoved a finger up his nose as far as it would go. Evan had given them a look of reprimand but secretly thought it was only fitting. Having the respect of his men had been important to him and that would end before long.

Amanda had mentioned someone named Zahir but he was not on the grounds and it was assumed he'd gone with the others to the next village. It didn't matter. They had the doc back and that was all that counted.

~~O~~

John's arms were beginning to tire from carrying Amanda though he didn't care. He'd carry her all the way back to Earth if he had to. Ronon had even tried to take her from him and received his death glare in response. The big guy had immediately backed off and dropped back onto their six while Evan and Coughlin were on point.

The friendly banter that eddied around the couple came to an astonished halt when John said, "Mandy, when we get home…"

~~O~~

Amanda couldn't help it. When John called her "Mandy" in front of his men, the rest of what he said got lost. She tightened her hold on his neck for a fraction of a second then relaxed, the entire left side of her body pressing against him as if they had every right to be intimate this way in public.

And they did, but this was the first time he'd ever done it. _If this is what our life is going to be like from now on, I can handle it!_

~~O~~

Evan didn't change his expression. That John would call the doc by a nickname spoke of an even deeper relationship than he'd suspected. Not that he spent a lot of time thinking about John's love life.

When they finally reached the Jumper, the hatch opened, Evan standing off to the side checking for stragglers. There were none so he went up the ramp, past John and to the front to take the pilot's chair without consulting his CO, who was busy at the moment.

As he began the start-up sequence, he watched John attending to Amanda. He was kind and gentle without being obsequious and overwhelming in his attention. The man had finally found someone he could be happy with and that knowledge set off a series of thoughts inside Evan like knocking over dominoes. As long as he'd been in Atlantis, he hadn't really dated, not seriously. The times he'd gone out with a woman, it was more as friends and mostly in groups. Which wasn't really dating at all, was it?

~~O~~

Entering ahead of his men, John put Amanda down in the front corner of the rear of the Jumper, sat next to her and lifted her injured leg to rest across his lap. The Jumper powered up and lifted off.

Amanda pushed at the hair that had escaped from the elastic. "Ugh, I must look like something the cat threw up." She scooted around until she could reach into her pocket and pulled out a small mirror. "Crap!"

"What now?" John's words were laced with mild irritation though his expression was amused that she'd picked up one of his catch phrases.

She fiddled with the bandage on her arm. "My wrist. I keep bumping it."

His strong fingers took hold of her hand turning it over so he could see the cut. Rather than get out the emergency medkit because that would mean getting up and leaving her, he took off his black wristband, slipped it over her hand and settled it over the injured area.

When he looked into her eyes again, she knew she had the silliest smile on her face but couldn't help it. In all the years she'd known him he'd only been without it a few times. "But John…" He stopped her from removing it by holding her hand. A few moments later the strangest sensation started where his thumb was making little circles on the back of her hand. Strange in a good way. Heat built up at the contact, traveled along her arm to her shoulder to spread into every nook and cranny. She kept her eyes locked on their joined hands and her ears picked up the increase of the tempo his breathing. Even here in a small room with others, they'd managed to find a way to be intimately bound as her breathing kept time with his. "Thanks. I, uh, I'll get it back to you…"

"Keep it. Looks better on you anyway."

Turning her hand over, she held onto his hand and smiled back at him.

~~O~~

Watching John with Amanda, Evan began to reconsider his resolution to stay single and alone. The biggest drawback to being unattached was the being alone part. Most of the time it was okay as long as he had work to keep his mind actively engaged. But late at night, lying in bed with only the shadows for company, he wished for someone to come home to or to come home to _him_ waiting with a smile of welcome after a hard day.

After his sister had gone off to college, he had mom and his mutt dog, a female named Tango. She was dumb as a bag of rocks but very loyal and loving. Following college, he joined the Air Force and since then he'd had a few girlfriends but the last one bruised his heart so bad he'd decided to leave dating to the younger guys. Until now.

A vision of short dark wavy hair and green eyes floated in front of his face as he listened to Billig, Marie and Isabelle greet their friend, expressing happiness and relief that she was okay. When he'd gone to the required meet and greet with the new staff shrink, they'd shaken hands and held on longer than the prescribed three seconds, both a little flustered afterward. He had no idea what she talked about with anyone else but they had talked about their childhoods. And he remembered every detail of hers.

She and her three siblings had been Army brats, having lived in fifteen different states as well as five foreign countries by the time she'd started college. She spoke four languages aside from English and never had a pet or a best friend until she moved into an apartment with three other girls while working on her doctorate. The four young women had taken in a stray cat, a brown Maine Coon female they'd named Miss Priss because of the prissy way she walked.

Grinning internally, he recalled how she'd blushed lightly when she let it slip that she had a tattoo though she refused to tell what or where. And she was a vegetarian for health reasons.

At the end of their session, what should have been only fifteen minutes had stretched into nearly an hour. He'd almost asked her to have coffee with him. Why he didn't, he couldn't immediately recall.

Now that the Jumper was in the air and headed for the Stargate, he glanced over his shoulder at John who was sitting beside Amanda with her injured leg across his lap. They were talking and laughing as if no one were around to hear.

Reed was getting ribbed about having been hit with a frying pan and given a black eye by an old woman. Evan thought it served him right for all the teasing he'd heaped on Coughlin for the "Mitzi" incidents which thankfully stopped when Sheppard started sending Teldy's team in their place.

In the shotgun seat, the leader of AR-5, Major Cortez, dialed Atlantis at Evan's request. "Atlantis, we got her. Have medical standing by. ETA five minutes."

~~O~~

Rodney and Teyla stood at Amanda's bedside with John, listening to them recount the mission they'd both missed by being out of touch. Rodney had been with the shrink and Teyla with Jennifer. It had all turned out well so they weren't too upset.

Evan had already read Amanda's report on the incident. She'd had plenty of time to complete it as Cedric Evans, the doctor on duty when they returned, had ordered that she be kept overnight for observation. After sleeping for eight hours straight, John at her bedside nearly the entire time, she quickly laid out the events that had transpired after she'd been taken.

The Major took his leave, whistling a familiar tune as he left the Infirmary. And he didn't dare look back in case John was giving him the death glare again. Just kept whistling and walking, headed out on a mission of his own. He avoided the transporter and took the stairs to the next level, around the corner, third door on the left. Without hesitation, he touched the chime and it opened immediately. "Hey. Can I come in?"

~~O~~

Sydney couldn't help the look of surprise at seeing Major Lorne at her door. He came in but didn't sit down. "I don't recall us having a session scheduled for today, Major." She went to her desk and slid the pad and pen into the drawer. A little old fashioned, she preferred putting her thoughts down on paper before committing them to the computer.

"We didn't, Sydney."

She didn't miss his use of her first name and responded to it. "Evan, why are you here?"

He moved closer, taking her hand in his. "I thought if I ignored it, eventually I'd stop thinking about you, about _us_. But this isn't going to go away."

"I agree." She looked down at their hands, hers pale against his sun-darkened skin. When she brought her gaze back to his, her smile was different. Not the mild everyday one she bestowed on anyone who entered her sphere of influence. This one was softer, warmer and, hopefully, just for him. "So what are we gonna do about it?"

He made an offhand shrug as he moved even closer, turning their hands palm to palm and lacing their fingers marveling that they fit together so perfectly. Warmth traveled up his arm, beginning to melt the layer of ice that had surrounded his heart the last few years.

"How about we start with this?" He leaned in slowly, giving her time to back off if she wanted to. When their lips touched, her eyes fluttered closed and she sighed, as did he. Evan raised his free hand to her cheek but didn't gather her into an embrace though he wanted to very much. If her fingers digging into his forearm were a sign, she did as well. When they finally parted, the glassy sheen of yearning glittered in their eyes.

"Mmm. That's a good start. What's the next step?"

"Dinner. Drink afterwards, if you like." After that kiss, he knew she'd agree.

"Sounds wonderful. Tonight, 1930?"

With a nod and a smile, Evan left her alone. Out in the hall, he gave a silent whoop of delight, adding a fist pump and leap into the air before rushing off to his team workout.

~~O~~

Reed, Coughlin, Billig and AR-5 were already in the gym when Evan arrived with a grin and a bounce in his step. Billig's knife wound would need at least another week to heal before he'd be back on light duty though he did show up to cheer his teammates on.

The three members of Team Lorne watched their leader uneasily. A smiling Lorne always meant trouble. His voice low, Reed said, "Uh-oh. He's _smiling_."

"Yeah," Coughlin agreed. "Why?"

Billing shrugged the shoulder not in the sling. "Don't know, but it _can't_ be good."

Their speculating ended when they were called to the mat.

"Gather 'round, kids and let's get this party started."

~~O~~

Jennifer arrived in the Infirmary after everyone but John had left. After a "welcome back" to Amanda, she went into her office, booted up her workstation and opened the file on M7M-536. She scrolled down to where she'd left off, assembled her thoughts and began to type. After a few hesitant taps, she built up to her usual speed, continuing until the entire report was complete and ready to be sent to John and Mr. Woolsey then on to the IOA.

Her finger hovered over the Send key for a fraction of a second before hitting it. A long heartfelt sigh whooshed out and she pushed away from the desk again. She took a long drink of water then opened her desk drawer and took out a DVD, the logs from when Rodney had been infected with the parasite. She'd removed them from the database and had Chuck erase any trace in case Rodney decided to hack the system again to gain access she'd been denying him. It was time for him to see them as well as hear what she hadn't been able to tell him until now. "Keller to McKay."

"_McKay. Go ahead._"

With a grin, she could see his face in her mind, wide-eyed with surprise at hearing from her. "Wanna do lunch? Afterward, we can talk."

"Uh, sure. 1300?"

"Perfect."

~~O~~

Gunnery Sergeant Jerry Brackman sat in the Mess Hall, his back to the group of scientists eating at the table behind him, their little corner far from the other diners. For the most part, he let what they were saying go in one ear and out the other. That is, until he heard the nickname some of the staff called Sheppard.

A man's voice was speaking. "_Are you __finally__ ready to admit that you couldn't get Colonel "Kirk" into bed?_"

There was a sigh and a woman's accented voice responded. "Ja, ja_. I will place the order with next dialout_."

"_Make it the good stuff, too. You know, considering his reputation, I really thought __we'd__ be paying __you_." There was a pause filled with the sounds of eating and drinking.

"_You will not hear me complaining about not getting "Kirk" as I am quite satisfied with what I did get._" Her tone was filled with supreme contentment.

A different man's voice spoke next. "_Where __is__ he by the way?_"

Brackman could almost hear the shrug. "_Hiding from McKay, probably. Ever since he returned he has gone to great lengths to keep from running into our notorious department head._"

The first male voice was back. "_Hey, where's Charlie? This whole bet was his idea. He has to be in full gloat-mode about now._"

A different man's voice answered. "_Wanted to finish his latest experiment before McKay asks for it._"

"_He better hurry or the checkerboard cake'll be gone and we'll have to listen to him whine._"

Without giving away that he'd been listening, Brackman stood and headed for the exit. Outside, he tapped his headset. "Brackman to Lorne."

"_Lorne. Go ahead_."

"I need a short meet, sir."

"_My office._"

"ETA three."

~~O~~

Pacing from one end of the room to the other, Jennifer waited for Rodney to finish watching the video logs. She felt he was taking too long but didn't want to rush him.

He ejected the disc, slipping it carefully back into the case and shut down the computer. He didn't say anything and she began to get worried because he stopped after the one labeled "DAY 06. 22:14."

"Ready to talk?"

"Not just yet, if you don't mind." Leaning back in the chair, he rubbed his eyes. "Tell me one thing."

"Of course."

"You knew all that time how I felt about you but never said a word." Now he faced her, his features expressionless. "Why?"

Jennifer dragged a chair over next to Rodney where he still sat at his desk. "Telling me you loved me came so out of the blue that I had to be certain you really did care about me and weren't saying it just because you were ill. But by that time, you were…guileless, like a child, unable to commit any sort of subterfuge. You were stating the absolute truth about everything no matter what and without the usual sarcasm and scorn. It forced me to examine my own feelings." He looked down at his hands resting in his lap, his head coming up sharply when Jennifer laid her smaller one over both of his.

"But let's forget about that for now. There's something else I have to tell you. First you need to understand that you didn't know what you were doing and were filled with such self-loathing afterward that I was afraid that I was going to lose you. That you would take yourself away from me, fearing it would happen again. And I didn't make it any better by pushing you away. For that I am truly sorry." He opened his mouth to speak but she stopped his words with two fingers against his lips. "Just listen and don't say anything until I've finished."

Rodney nodded in agreement, his expression more miserable than she'd ever seen him.

"The night you ended up in the brig, I came here to tell you about the anomaly in your DNA that had turned out to be Wraith. We went into your room and…"

~~O~~

Amanda looked at herself in the mirror. Her burgundy tank top and formfitting jeans created an alluring vision that she hoped John wouldn't be able to resist. Running both hands through her hair, she gently tousled the wavy blonde strands and turned away from the contented smile that wouldn't stop no matter what. John would be here soon to take her to dinner and maybe, just maybe, he'd finally say it. Looking down at the black armband on her right arm, she realized he'd already said it by his actions. But she really needed to hear the words, even if this was the only time he said them for the rest of their lives.

The chime announced his arrival and she turned toward the door with more than a little nervousness. Wiping her suddenly sweaty palms down the back of her jeans, she opened the door. "Oh, Major Lorne."

"Sorry to bother you, doc. There's a, uh, situation."

She reasoned that it couldn't be a medical issue or he'd have gone to the Infirmary instead of coming to her room. "Shouldn't you be telling this to…"

"I would've told the Colonel but thought it best if we avoid bloodshed. Uh, not mine." Evan's expression showed that he was vexed on behalf of his commanding officer and friend. "He's the, uh, subject a rumor going around and I was hoping since you and he are such good friends…"

"…that I would tell him for you?" She sighed, shifting her weight onto her good leg. "Go ahead."

Knowing the relationship John had with the woman in front of him, he exhaled loudly. What he was going to say might split them up but he couldn't let the rumor go unchecked. It could damage not only John's reputation but also his career if it got back to the wrong people. "You might wanna sit down for this, doc."

**TBC**

**A/N:** For those of you who have read "Full Circle", in this story, Mitzi is still on her home planet pining for her "mate."

And big thanks to ladygris for all her help. Some of the dialog was her idea and its great!


	9. Part 9

**A/N: **Again, thanks so much to ladygris for all her help and suggestions. They add lots of flavor to this chapter of the story.

~Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 9**

Roaming the halls of the barracks level, Rodney thought about everything Jennifer had told him. It wasn't that he didn't believe her. It was more that he didn't _want_ to believe he'd done what she said he'd done, though it would explain why the memory wanted to stay buried. He had to talk to someone and headed in that direction now, slapping his hand over the chime.

The door opened on Sydney buttoning the top button of her midnight blue top. "Oh, Dr. McKay."

"This a bad time?"

"Of course not. Please come in." She ushered him over to the chair she knew he preferred and seated herself across from him. "What can I do for you?"

"The, uh, that thing I couldn't remember? Well, Jennifer just told me and…what I want to know is how can I make things…right between us? I never want her to be afraid of me again but how…"

Sydney uncrossed her knees and leaned forward to take Rodney's hand. "Rodney, what you need to remember is that both you and Jennifer have had your trust violated by this incident. Neither of you is to blame." She let him think about that for a moment. "Now, think about when you first met. How did meeting Jennifer for the first time make you feel?"

His eyes tracked back and forth as he pulled the memory out, examining it and paying special attention to his first impression of the medical doctor. "I thought she was the most beautiful woman I'd seen in a long time. When we shook hands, I felt as if we had known each other forever. I was seeing someone else at the time and dismissed it as my imagination."

"Why? Many people have that same reaction when meeting someone, whether they are destined to be friends…or lovers."

"Carson!" Now Rodney was excited. "That's how it was when I met Carson. Oh, and Sheppard."

"Good." The psychologist patted his hand where it rested on his thigh. "Now my suggestion, which you are free to accept or decline, is to go back to the beginning. Start with that first meeting and work your way back to being in love. But remember, it won't happen overnight so don't try to rush it. What about recreating your first date?" She cut off when Rodney started chuckling.

"Um, let's just say that the only good thing to come out of our first date was her telling me she loved me."

"I'm sure you'll think of something." She stood up as did Rodney. "The two of you could also benefit from couples therapy. Just think about it."

"Thanks, Dr. Arnett." Much happier now, he nodded going to the door. He turned back to her, his eyes tracking back and forth, snapping his fingers. "Good talk." And he was gone.

Chuckling herself, Sydney went back to getting ready for her date.

~~O~~

John rang the chime and was leaning on the doorjamb with his arms crossed when the door slid open. He gave Amanda a quick onceover, his hazel eyes coming up to meet hers again. Until recently, he'd thought her eyes were a light blue. Now he knew they were the same color as his. Without a word, he entered the room and let the door close. "How's the ankle?"

"Fine."

He saw she wasn't smiling. In fact, she had that crinkle above her nose that appeared when she was annoyed, upset, cross or thought he was nuts. It meant someone had done something for which that person would be exceedingly sorry when she was done. Well, _he_ was the only one here and that look was aimed in his direction so he must have done something, though he couldn't think what that might be. He'd started to reach for her but she crossed her arms and not in a loose, casual way. No, this was different. This was her "you are in BIG trouble, pal" posture. She moved away from him and went to stand with her hips leaning on the dresser.

"What's wrong?"

"Tell me about Dr. Weissmuller."

~~O~~

Madelena brushed a light dusting of blush over her cheeks and added a touch of lip gloss. Her lavender top showed off her figure and her form-fitting jeans had designs embroidered on the back pockets making them great walking away pants. The outfit left just enough to the imagination to get the attention of most of the men on the base though she really only wanted the attention of one man.

She hadn't seen Peter since the previous morning after their second night together. Today she'd heard someone say he was meeting him in the bar and she wanted to surprise him. She ran a comb through her overly curly hair and left her room, intent on her destination.

~~O~~

After Rodney left, Jennifer didn't want to stay in his quarters alone so she went back to the Infirmary to catch up on reports and semi-annual reviews. Sometime later, there was a knock on her door and he was there. She waved him in and hope rose in her that it would all be alright between them again.

"Dr. Keller? I'm Dr. Rodney McKay, head of science and research." He took a few steps forward until he was standing on the far side of her desk. A smile turned up the corners of his mouth as he extended his hand. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to meet you when you arrived. Welcome to Atlantis."

Jennifer's eyes widened at his words but then she got it. Standing as well, she came around the desk and took the proffered hand but didn't shake, just held it in hers. "Thank you. It's great to be here. This place is amazing." Her smile mirrored his as she looked up into his blue eyes. "You know, I have a feeling we're going to be really good friends."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Still holding her hand, he took another half-step forward. "So, Dr. Keller…"

"Jennifer."

"Would you be interested in having dinner with me tonight…Jennifer?"

Her lips pursed as she thought it over. "Well, _Rodney_, I'll have to check my schedule but I think I can fit you in. My quarters, 1930?"

Rodney gave her a grin that was a shadow of the one he used when they engaged in flirtatious banter though it was there. "I'll be there."

~~O~~

_Oh, crap!_ When John heard Amanda say Madelena's name, he knew someone must have told her about the incident in the bar. He would have to do some fast talking to get out of this one.

"And do _not_ say 'it's not what it sounded like.' What happened after I left?"

"Oh, uh, we, she and I, were…making out. I said something that she didn't like and got the crap slapped out of me for it. Does it help that I was thinking of _you_ at the time?" Amanda gave him a small head shake. He paced back and forth a couple of times. "That night, you said I only loved you with half of my heart." She didn't say anything so he continued. "Well, that's because…"

John started to turn away from her, from the emotions that welled up inside him. He loved this woman more than he thought possible. Why was he hesitating? _Stop it, John! Say it or she's out of your life forever. Do you __really__ want that?_ Forcing himself to look her in the eye without flinching, he took a deep breath.

"It was because I only _had_ half a heart and when you left…you took it with you." To his surprise, a single tear welled up and created a trail down her left cheek. Somehow, that was worse than if she'd cried outright. He walked slowly toward her until he was close enough to touch her, and he did, his hands resting her shoulders. They slid inward and up her neck until he was cupping her cheeks, his thumb brushing away the drop of moisture before touching the corner of her mouth. "But I'm sure that one day, with your help, my heart will be whole again."

And he just waited, letting her think it all over. He felt her acceptance before she spoke.

"Do you have _any_ idea how corny that sounds?" John nodded. "So is that what you said to…"

"No! Do NOT say her name!" She mimed locking her lips. "Oh, Mandy." Now he couldn't stop the smile that crawled onto his face. "I love you." Her slender fingers wrapped around his wrists as he leaned in to kiss her.

"Mmm. I know that was hard for you to say, but it will get easier."

She reached up to kiss him again and he pulled away just far enough to say, "By the way, we aren't naming any of our kids _Todd_."

Her eyes wide, she couldn't help the startled exclamation as she pushed him back. "What? Say that again."

Patiently, John repeated, "We aren't naming…"

"No-no-no! The 'kids' part."

He shrugged. "I was thinking we should have at least three, maybe four."

"FOUR kids?" Taking what she said as a firm agreement, he kissed her again longer and harder. "Todd!"

Pulling back in confusion, John started to release her from his embrace but she held on. "I kiss you and _that's_ who you think of? A Wraith?"

"Sort of." Pushing out of his arms, she went to the bedside table. Removing the framed photo she'd put away a few days ago, she showed it to him pointing to the man with the long blonde hair. "I couldn't remember his name. It's _Todd_."

"Yeah." John chuckled. "He's a plastic surgeon, lives in San Mateo with his wife and two kids." Taking the photo from her, he set it on the table again and before she knew it, he'd tumbled them onto the bed. This time, when his questing fingers slipped under the edge of her top, she didn't stop him though she did put a halt to their activities when he popped the snap on her slacks. "You promised me dinner, Sheppard."

"But wouldn't you rather stay here and…" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Let me put it this way. I don't get dinner, _you_ don't get lucky tonight."

"That's where you're wrong, Mandy." He said her name with a breathless she'd never heard from him, his smile one of all consuming joy, and rolled until he was looking down into her beautiful face. "I'm already the luckiest man in _both_ galaxies."

~~O~~

Kavanagh's smile wasn't a pleasant one as he talked to his companions, two Marines and a botanist. The only thing the four of them had in common was their dislike of Sheppard. The others put up with the reprimands and late night duty postings because they weren't ready to rotate back to Earth yet. But Kavanagh was very vocal about the poor treatment he received from just about everyone.

"You _really_ slept with the Ice Princess?" The first Marine asked, impressed but trying not to show it. He'd asked Madelena out on several occasions and had received a frosty "no" each time. Kavanagh hadn't even had to ask and the woman had fallen right into bed with him. He couldn't see what the four-eyed physicist had that he didn't.

"That sorry excuse for a military commander sure didn't live up to his rep. He could've had her just by crooking his little finger but she left him high and dry to be with _me_." Now Kavanagh chuckled. "The first time, she screamed so loud I'm surprised the neighbors didn't complain."

The second Marine snorted and took a quick drink of his beer. "They _did_. We just didn't put it in the report." At Kavanagh's shocked expression, he explained. "Workin' late nights has its advantages, Pete."

Rolling his eyes, Kavanagh pushed the basket of pretzels away from him. "_Don't_ call me Pete."

The botanist, thrilled to be included in this exclusive club, spoke up for the first time since he sat down. "So, spill, Kavanagh. How was she?"

Tilting his chair back on two legs, he pulled off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. He didn't normally drink alcohol and the beer was giving him a headache. He was only drinking the stuff to fit in with his cronies. "I got a bigger thrill the last time I went to the dentist. At least then I was sedated and didn't have to listen to her talk afterwards."

Marine number two scratched the side of his nose. "Then why go for it again?"

"The first time wasn't that great, so I thought she was nervous, new guy and all. After I rung her bell a few times, I thought it would get better. It _didn't_, and I've been avoiding her ever since. Apparently she thought us burning the sheets together a few times would lead to something long-term. Gonna have to set her straight."

His chair hit the floor with a thump when he heard a startled gasp. Already knowing what he would see, he turned to his right. Madelena was standing there, her eyes wide with rage.

~~O~~

John stood and pulled Amanda up into his arms. After another hot kiss, she pushed him away. "What's _with_ you, John? It takes almost twenty years for you to make a move and now you don't wanna stop."

"I don't think I've ever really been in love before. And now that I am, I wanna enjoy it."

Amanda just had to ask the next question. "But what about…"

He stopped her with another kiss. "If I had gone with my _heart_ instead of taking my father's advice, you and I would be celebrating twenty years of wedded bliss in a couple of years."

"Oohh! Is this a proposal? 'Cause if it is, my answer is…" she whispered in his ear.

Resting his forehead against hers, he softly said, "Oh, Mandy."

"Oh, John." They stayed like that for a few minutes. "Um…this is gonna sound totally random but I should tell you that I, uh, have a tattoo. If it creeps you out…"

"Really?" Instead of being put off, he sounded intrigued. "Show me."

Amanda moved out of his arms and turned her back. Undoing the front of her pants, she pulled down the right side until the cheek was exposed. There, near the bottom just before it curved under, were the words _Si facere, esse in Circus._ John reached out one finger and touched the words.

"It means…"

"I _know_ what it means. And I love it!"

A moment later he used his hand to gently squeeze the firm flash making her gasp at the touch of the roughness on her backside. She pulled her pants up and fastened them before they forgot about dinner, taking him by the hand. "Um…I hate to burst our little bubble but I need to tell you something. Major Lorne was here earlier and asked me to have a talk with you."

"Don't like the sound of that." Letting his breath out in one long exhale, he waited for her to speak again.

"There's a rumor going around."

He snorted. "They're a fact of life in a place like this."

"This one's about _you_ and a certain German scientist_._"

John huffed at her. "I thought we covered that already."

"We did. This is different. I want your word you're not gonna do something you'll regret once you've heard the story."

"No promises."

With a deep breath to get her started, she told him everything. Truth be told, once she'd heard about the bet, she got angry though not at John, and would have gone straight to the source if he hadn't arrived when he did.

~~O~~

Evan and Sydney walked through the halls of Atlantis, her hand nestled in the crook of his arm. Dinner had been fun. They'd talked and laughed together like they'd known each other for years instead of a few weeks. At first Sydney had thought their movement aimless until she saw that Evan was steering them toward a stained glass door she'd never seen before.

Out on the balcony, they went to the railing and looked out over the city. The breeze was still warm, the sun not quite all the way down. It would have been romantic for the moons to be up, bathing them in silvery light, but it didn't matter. Slipping his arm around her shoulders, Evan drew her close to his side and she rested her cheek against his shoulder.

Sydney looked up at him when she felt his eyes on her. Turning to face him fully, she rested her hand on his chest then let it slide up around his neck. She didn't need to urge him to kiss her. Her hands touched his waist, gliding around to settle on his back near his spine and pulling him close.

Heat seeped into her when his hands on her shoulders slid down her back, turning his head first to the right then the left for different angles. He realized they were on the verge of losing control and though he wanted to pull back, he couldn't. Not yet. _Just a little longer, please._

Sydney must have had the same thoughts about losing control because she moved her hands in between them and up to his shoulders to push him back.

"Whoa." Evan's exclamation made her smile.

"We, uh, better go in before…"

"Agreed."

Taking her by the hand, they went back inside. They were on the same level as the bar and headed there now. John and Amanda were already sharing a table, looking very happy and very much in love. When Evan caught John's eye, he waved them over.

"Evening, sir. You know Dr. Arnett."

John stood and they shook hands. "Doctor." He indicated Amanda. "Dr. Cole."

"Colonel. Doctor."

"Doctor." Amanda inclined her head. "Good to see you someplace other than the Infirmary, Major. Please join us."

Evan chuckled ruefully as he held Sydney's chair then seated himself next to her, his arm resting along the back of her chair. His fingers lightly rubbed the curve of her shoulder. A few minutes later, Rodney and Jennifer showed up.

"I'd like all of you to meet Dr. Jennifer Keller, the new Chief Medical Officer. Jennifer, this is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, Dr. Amanda Cole, Major Evan Lorne and Dr. Sydney Arnett." Rodney held a chair for her then sat down next to her. "Jennifer's just arrived on the _Daedalus_."

Immediately getting into the swing of the joke, the others greeted her with smiles and handshakes, Sydney giving Rodney a nod of approval.

One ankle resting on the other knee John, leaned back, fully relaxed. Amanda's hand was on the table between them and he reached out and took it. "This is gonna get confusing with all these doctors. Why don't we just go with first names for the rest of the night?" Nods of agreement flowed around the table. "So, Rodney, is this your first date with Jennifer?"

~~O~~

A ringing sensation began inside Madelena's head drowning out the sounds of music, talking, even her own heartbeat. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Peter wanting nothing more than to wipe the smirk from his face. Being much shorter than he, her head tilted back to keep his face within her view. "_Su Schwein!_" Before he could react in any way, her right hand came up and slapped him. She turned to the Marines and botanist when she heard stifled laughter. "_Fick dich selbst!_" She was so angry and hurt, but mostly angry, by Peter's words that she continued to berate them as she turned on her heel to go.

Her dramatic exit hit a snag when she ran into John.

**TBC**


	10. Part 10

**A/N:** I have two warnings to issue for this, the final chapter. The first is a fluff alert. Let's say it together, "Awwww!" The second is a coffee/tea/water/beverage-of-your-choice alert for something Lorne says.

Mucho thanks to ladygris for all her help. This story wouldn't have been nearly as entertaining without her help.

Thanks for reading and reviewing,

~Sandy

**Threads II**

**Loose Ends**

**Part 10**

In a replay of a few nights ago, John heard a woman's voice shouting in German. Madelena again, of course, and thankfully it wasn't aimed at him this time. When they heard the slap, he and his companions immediately made their way in that direction, each having a different reason for going. John and Evan went to defend the honor of a woman, Jennifer and Amanda to offer medical assistance, Sydney to offer her counseling or negotiating skills and Rodney because he was nosy.

Evan and Sydney both cringed at what Madelena was saying. He'd learned to speak German while assigned to Spangdahlem Air Base as a Sergeant and Sydney when her dad had been stationed at Bamberg.

In front, John put out his hands to steady Madelena when she ran into him. "What…" Jerking away from him, she reared back to slap him again but he caught her hand in mid swing. "Madelena, whoa! What's going on?" She kept speaking, still in German. John turned to Evan in self-defense.

"Uh…she said…" Evan leaned close so he wouldn't have to say some of the words within the hearing range of the women. "…and that, uh, _phrase_ she said just before her grand exit…"

"_That_ I got." His eyes stayed on Kavanagh even after Madelena wound down. He crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one foot. "You know, I have to agree with her on just about every point."

Evan moved up to flank his CO on the right. "Yeah. Especially the part about your parents being brother and sister."

"Is _that_ what she said?" Rodney asked.

"Yeah, just after that first thing and before, uh…"

Kavanagh spread his arms, palms up, almost as if in supplication. "It's all just a friggin' _game_, Sheppard. You of all people should know. Why don't you just play along?"

Holding onto his temper with both hands, John shoved a finger at the scientist. "This _isn't_ a game. These are people's _feelings_ you're playing with, Kavanagh. Now get out of here before I do something I _won't_ regret."

Kavanagh took a step closer causing John's eyes to narrow dangerously. "And if I don't, what're you gonna do? Hit me? You do and I'll have you up on charges so fast…"

"You know, _that_ is the third mistake you've made."

Scorn oozed out of the scientist. "Oh? And what was my first mistake?"

"Thinking you could disrespect a member of this expedition and get away with it."

Now the annoying scientist was laughing outright. "I've NEVER had respect for you."

"And I don't give a rat's _ass_ if you respect me. However, you disrespected Madelena in MY presence which led to your second mistake…thinking you wouldn't have to pay for it." John felt Amanda come to stand at his side and knew she had _that_ look on her face. He found that he rather enjoyed knowing her so well he could read her moods without even seeing her face. "And just because _I _won't do it doesn't mean _she_ won't."

Kavanagh looked around and apparently didn't see anyone he considered a threat. "She _who?_" A second later he was writhing on the floor clutching his privates.

Amanda had taken a step forward on her left foot, grabbed his shirt collar in both fists and brought her right knee up hard. "For someone who's supposed to be a genius, you seem to have forgotten that the citizens of Atlantis take care of their own." Turning away from the man on the floor as if he were unimportant, she brushed down the back of her pants as if touching him had soiled her in some way and found her way blocked by the blonde cosmologist.

"Thank you for standing up for me, Dr. Cole. I…" Madelena's words cut off when Amanda's hand impacted with her cheek leaving a bright red handprint.

~~O~~

Madelena reacted instinctively. She slapped Amanda back.

John stepped to the side to avoid getting in the way and had to clamp down hard on the laugh that tried to jump out when, with a greatly overplayed leer, Evan said, "Oh, _boy!_ Cat fight!"

Amanda ignored the byplay between the two men and slapped Madelena again. "_That's_ for trying to sleep with _my man_ because of a _bet_."

Startled by Amanda's words, the German woman stopped her next slap in mid swing. "YOUR man? _You_ are 'Mandy'?

Watching Madelena drop her hand to her side, Amanda knew the "fight" was over. "Yeah, so keep your hands to yourself from now on!" She rounded on John who'd started to run away. He stopped when she called his name. "John Merlin Sheppard, how does _she_ know about 'Mandy'?"

"Um…" he was obviously looking for a way out but none could be found. At least until Madelena spoke again.

"He called _me_ Mandy. I didn't know that he was with someone or I would never have…" Her expression changed as she circled Kavanagh, still on the floor and moaning, as if he were too slimy to step on. She went to John, looking up into his face. "I am very sorry for any discomfort I've caused and hope that you and…" she glanced over at Amanda standing with Jennifer, Sydney and Rodney, "…_Mandy_ can forgive me." Without waiting for an answer, she headed for the exit, her head hung down.

Obviously relieved, John faced Amanda again. She had her arms crossed and was tapping a foot on the wood floor. Putting on his most endearing smile, the one clearly meant to get him out of hot water, he moved over in front of the love of his life.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Sheppard?"

"Uh…you're my hero?"

Amanda couldn't help smiling at his tone and little boy expression because she'd never been able to resist either. She took him by the hand and started leading him back to the table, stopping when Rodney went over to crouch next to Kavanagh.

"That third mistake Sheppard mentioned was coming back to Atlantis. A situation which I am about to rectify, by the way." Rodney came to his feet, and with just a touch of his usual acerbic tone, said, "Get used to living on your home planet again, Kavanagh, because you're _fired_."

~~O~~

When Amanda announced loudly for all to hear that he was _her_ man, John leaned over and said to Evan with immense pride, "That's _my_ girl!"

"Yes, sir."

The next words he said startled John as much as Evan. "We're gettin' married. Gonna have a bunch of kids."

After a pause, Evan deadpanned, "I'll issue a warning to _both_ galaxies immediately…sir."

~~O~~

Just as Madelena reached the exit she heard her name. Looking around, she found her poker buddies crowded around a table with drinks, pretzels and peanuts. Charlie was there, no doubt holding court while his companions congratulated him on the idea of the bet. When she got close, she saw that he had the strangest expression on his face. She'd expected him to be rejoicing in his triumph. In full gloat-mode, as Dominic would say. Instead, his expression was cheerless. And now that she looked closer, the others were the same.

Charlie reached around and pulled another chair over so she could join them. When she hesitated, he grabbed her hand and urged her to sit. He signaled and a glass was set in front of her. She didn't ask what it was, just drank it down and asked for another.

While she waited for the second drink, she grabbed a pretzel and bit off a chunk. "That has to be the single most embarrassing moment of my life."

Charlie rested his arm along the back of her chair. He was the same age as Madelena and dark where she was fair. "And we had a front row seat for the festivities."

"Don't look so unhappy. You won, I lost and will not default on our agreement." If anything, the man looked even more miserable than when she sat down. "What is wrong?"

"Um, when I said 'to the top' I didn't mean Sheppard."

Madelena stopped with the fresh drink halfway to her mouth. "You didn't?"

"No." He flashed a look at their companions. "I was talking about Mr. Untouchable himself…Richard Woolsey."

~~O~~

Sitting in a dark corner with his book open and forgotten in front of him, Richard Woolsey watched the drama unfolding between the senior staff. At first he thought to intervene but Colonel Sheppard was already there so he left it to the military man to solve the problem. Until he saw that Sheppard was personally involved. Rising to his feet, he'd taken just one step when Dr. Cole and Dr. Weissmuller had begun slapping each other while the others watched from the sidelines. Major Lorne looked as if he wanted to intercede but was stopped by his commanding officer.

A few moments later, Dr. Weissmuller headed over to join a group near the pool tables.

He'd just relaxed back into his seat and reached for his glass of brandy when the sound of a fist hitting and breaking what could only be someone's nose reached him. One of Dr. McKay's people jumped up and rushed from the room, a napkin pressed to his face.

Choosing to ignore everything going on around him, Richard crossed one leg over the other and went back to reading. _I'll just read the reports when they come in._

~~O~~

With a smile, Sydney followed the group back to their table. Though he didn't take her hand, she could feel the backs of Evan's fingers brush against hers as they walked. Knowing better than to allow her body to make important decisions, she didn't do what she'd been wanting to do since he'd come to her office earlier in the day. No, they would stay and she'd get to know his friends because they'll be her friends too. At least she hoped so. When the two of them eventually made the decision to be exclusive, she wanted to already know and be accepted by them. He scooted his chair closer then draped his arm around her shoulders.

On the other side of the table, she watched Jennifer turn slightly to the side and rest her arm on Rodney's shoulder. It looked intimate but she was sitting in such a way that he wasn't able to do more than hold her hand or touch her knee. It wasn't much but it _was_ progress. Sydney wished she could take credit for it, but it was all Jennifer except for a few words of advice. And that's all psychology really was, teaching people how to solve their own problems by lending a compassionate ear and a few well-chosen words of advice. Rodney looked content with the situation as well.

The conversation lulled and she took this moment to appease her curiosity. "So, Colonel, how did you end up in Pegasus?"

One arm around Amanda, he rubbed the other hand through his hair. "It's not much of a story, doc. General O'Neill, for some reason I've never understood, specifically asked for _me _to fly him from McMurdo to the base in Antarctica. He went into a meeting with Dr. Weir, Rodney and Dr. Jackson and I just roamed around. Next thing I know, I'm genetically advanced and living in another galaxy."

Rodney made an annoyed sound. "You're _not_ genetically advanced. It's a _random_ characteristic, as I've mentioned previous occasions."

"You're jealous that I was born with it and _you_ got it through the therapy."

"No-no-no. Remember what happened in that Wraith lab? Jennifer was able to let me keep the natural gene and…"

Taking a drink of his beer, John tried to cram down his annoyance. "You're NOT in my will, so quit asking."

The two men continued their companionable discussion until Amanda introduced a new subject and the tone of the evening finally changed to something less combative.

~~O~~

"And _that's_ how it happened?" Cedric Evans kept working on Charlie's broken nose. He'd already repositioned it and was now cleaning up the blood that had gushed all over the front of the scientist's clothing.

"See dust _hid_ me! I di'n hab a chan' to duh." Not able to breathe through his nasal passages, everything came out sounding like he was holding his nose. Cedric did his best not to laugh but it was tough going, especially when this tale ended with Charlie's nose being broken by a woman a head shorter than he.

"Think you've learned your lesson about making wagers that involve the senior staff?"

"Yeh! I'll neber do _dat_ agin. Eber! Nod eben poger!" Charlie made a cross on his chest and closed his eyes. He knew that medical had to make a report on any incidents of one staff member striking another. He just hoped that Sheppard and Woolsey would go easy on him, give him a verbal reprimand instead of a written one. But he wouldn't hold his breath.

~~O~~

Sydney thought about the secret she'd been keeping from the expedition and felt just a little remorseful. As the head of the military, John deserved to know as did Evan as his second in command. Now that they were dating, he deserved to know but she wasn't ready to tell him just yet. She wanted them to get used to being together and sharing. Surely he'd understand why it had to be kept quiet. Not that she didn't trust him to keep it to himself. She just wanted to settle in completely before it became common knowledge.

Liking the feel of his arm around her, Sydney was a little disappointed when he removed it. But then he took her hand and she didn't mind so much.

"I've been meaning to ask you, Major. How'd Reed get the black eye?" Jennifer wanted to know.

Evan chuckled. "He had a close encounter."

Jennifer's brow furrowed in confusion. "Of the Third Kind? I thought it was just a bunch of bad guys, crooks and desperados."

"It was." Snagging a handful of peanuts, John popped one in his mouth.

"Yeah, but _Reed_ had a close encounter of the Cast-Iron Skillet Kind."

"Excuse me?" chorused Rodney, Jennifer and Sydney.

"The Colonel and Ronon had gone up the stairs when Reed thought he heard something coming from the back hall…"

~~O~~

When his companions tried to help him stand, Kavanagh shrugged off their hands and got to his feet on his own. Ignoring them, he headed for the exit. Outside, he stalked to the railing, his teeth grinding together. With a growl, he went to his former office. After that, he made a few more stops. On his way back to his quarters to pack, he fervently wished he could be there to see McKay's face when he finally got his comeuppance.

It was a fallacy that revenge was a dish best served cold.

This time it would be served up nice and _hot_.

~~O~~

Now that she and Rodney were able to be together in public, Jennifer needed to know if they could be together alone. This day had been long and she was tired. If she couldn't stay with him tonight, at least she knew it would get better eventually. Placing her hand on his arm and squeezing to get his attention, she told him, "I'm tired, Rodney. Can we go?"

His eyes, filled with love and adoration, found hers in the dim light of the bar. Their companions didn't bother to stifle their spontaneous expressions of humor when Rodney took the hand on his arm, raised it to his lips and said, "Yes, my queen" before leading her away.

**The End**

**A/N:** Pursuant to page 47, paragraph 3 (subsection 10) of the Fanfic Writers Rulebook that states you must write a sequel if its requested by at least three reviewers, there will be another sequel to this story. Stay tuned for Threads III.

~Sandy


End file.
